By Tom Frary
Enjoying the perfect warm-up for a repeat bid in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, Robert Ng's Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) was at or very near his best to register back-to-back wins in Saturday's G2 Paddy Power Minstrel S. at The Curragh. Tracking the 10-11 market-leader Lancaster House (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in third against the rail, the 9-4 second favourite was angled out of a pocket by Billy Lee to swamp that rival at the furlong pole. Asserting on the run to the line, the 2018 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero who was last seen finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix du Moulin had 1 3/4 lengths to spare over the Ballydoyle runner there, with Surrounding (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}) 2 1/4 lengths behind in third.
“We were keen to start his season locally at a track he's won at before and I'm delighted with that,” trainer Ken Condon commented. “He's a little bit heavier and a year older and he'd been working nicely without any fireworks–all the signs were very good, but bearing in mind he has needed his comeback runs over the last two seasons I'm very pleased with that. He was not too fresh and real professional and his work had been like that, nice and relaxed. It's lovely that he showed that on ground as dead and slow as he'd want it and the Jacques le Marois is the primary target. We had a super day there last year and it's his big aim. Hopefully, he takes this race well and I'm sure he'll get something from it as he would have been ring-rusty. Deauville's straight track suits his way of running best and we'll discuss the rest of his campaign with his owner Robert and racing manager Rupert [Pritchard-Gordon]. He might go to Longchamp again for the Moulin and might end up in Hong Kong later after three runs. He'd still be a fresh horse then, hopefully.”
Romanised, whose Curragh efforts now read three wins from four starts, is a half to the dual listed scorer Fictional Account (Ire) (Stravinsky) and the G3 St Leger Italiano winner Rock of Romance (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). The dam Romantic Venture (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) hails from a Moyglare Stud family and is a full-sister to the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. and G3 Arc Trial S. scorer Sights On Gold (Ire) and a half to the four-times group 1-wining Hong Kong Horse of the Year Designs On Rome (Ire) by Romanised's sire Holy Roman Emperor, as well as to the GII American Derby winner Simple Exchange (Ire) (Danehill). The third dam Seasonal Pickup (The Minstrel), a full-sister to the dam of the G1 Irish Derby hero Grey Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}), is the second dam of the G2 Feehan S. winner and G1 George Ryder S. runner-up Rekindled Interest (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
PADDY POWER MINSTREL S.-G2, €80,000, Curragh, 7-18, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:25.88, yl.
1–ROMANISED (IRE), 136, h, 5, by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)
1st Dam: Romantic Venture (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
2nd Dam: Summer Trysting, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Seasonal Pickup, by The Minstrel
O-Robert Ng; B-Mrs Monica Aherne (IRE); T-Ken Condon; J-Billy Lee. €48,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 7.5-9f, G1SW-Fr & Ire, GSP-Eng, 16-5-2-0, $1,284,357. *1/2 to Rock of Romance (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), GSW-Ity, SW & MGSP-Ger, $125,944; and Fictional Account (IRE) (Stravinsky), Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 14f+, SW-Eng & Ire, SP-Aus, $178,094. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lancaster House (Ire), 136, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Quiet Oasis (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Michael Tabor Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €16,000.
3–Surrounding (Ire), 133, m, 7, Lilbourne Lad (Ire)–Roundabout Girl (Ire), by Doubletour. O/B-P E I Newell (IRE); T-Michael Halford. €8,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.25, 0.91, 10.00.
Also Ran: Love Locket (Ire), Buffer Zone (GB), Precious Moments (Ire). Scratched: Gustavus Weston (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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