Romanised thunders home to give Condon first Classic

Ken Condon saddled his first Classic winner as 25/1 outsider Romanised swooped to conquer in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Aidan O'Brien 's U S Navy Flag looked to have seen off all rivals from the front but Romanised began to make his move inside the final quarter of a mile.

He still had plenty to do from fifth place but stormed into second with 150 yards to go and zoomed past the long-time leader in the final 100 yards.

Robert Ng's colt won going away by two and a quarter lengths. Runner-up U S Navy Flag was 10/3 with his stablemate Gustav Klimt a length and a quarter further away in third at 9/2. Elarqam who was fourth in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, went off the 2/1 favourite but could make no impact in the final quarter of a mile in finishing sixth.

Ken Condon said: “It's the stuff of dreams. We've been struggling this year even to get a winner but we knew he was a nice horse and he ran a lovely race in the Solario.

“We kept faith in him and he had excuses at Naas on his comeback.

“He worked the best he's worked all spring last Tuesday. We knew we were a long shot coming in here but I felt he was going to run a big race.

“He's always shown talent and he just seems to have come to himself in the last few weeks.

“I'm in a bit of shock and it will be a few days before it sinks in. It's just amazing to win a classic. It's all I wanted to do when I entered racing.

“It's a very select club and to actually step into that club feels like you are walking through special doors to be considered one of those.

“I knew I was never going to be training a huge amount of winners but we aimed to have a few nice horses through our hands.

“I thought he'd run well but to win is magic.

“I'm delighted for everyone involved, the lads in the yard, we're only a small team. He's a horse that we've always had quite a bit of faith in.

“We just train 30 and we are lucky enough to have a few stakes performers among them. It's nice to work with nice horses.

“There are a lot of guys like me. The country is full of very good horsemen and very good riders and we're all looking to get our hands on a good horse and show what you can do.

“Thankfully he walked through our door and he showed us very early on that he was talented.

“Talent is one thing but you have to have the temperament and carry it forward. His temperament has improved and he was very relaxed today.

“He was a little tricky to saddle but once that was done he walked around very calmly.

“He wasn't probably the finished article at Ascot (last year) but I thought he ran well and looked like he was just staying.

"He's bred to want a trip but he's a horse that shows an awful lot of pace and I must admit I wasn't quite sure If he'd get the mile.

“I said yesterday if he relaxed early on he'd run a big race. Shane just said after a furlong he tried to take a run and get strong with him but then he relaxed.

“He had a lot of ground to make up but he made it up steadily. It was a fast pace, a proper run race with no excuses, and he went to the line very strongly.”

Shane Foley said: "No (I wasn't surprised), I've said it from day one that this is a really good horse. I was a bit disappointed with him the last day in Naas when he was just fresh and green but his run in the Solario last year behind Masar was good enough.

"It worked out today thank God. We went a good gallop and this lad was even travelling off the gallop we were going.

"I just met a bit of traffic at the wrong time but he picked up well. He picked up in the style of a good horse.

"He's a bit quirky and you just have to keep him relaxed but all the good ones are, you don't mind working with it.

"These are the winners you want to have. I've won the fillies' Guineas already but to have it with Ken is great. Ken is such a good trainer and has shown his attributes with this horse. This is amazing."

Romanised was Condon's first winner of the season.

Paddy Power cut Romanised from 33/1 to 10/1 for the St James's Palace Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien said: I was delighted with our horses and we were delighted for Ken.

“He just came and got us. They went a good gallop and there was nowhere to hide out there.

“Obviously they could all go to Ascot. I couldn't say that you wouldn't tackle a mile with any of the three. That's what I thought.

“Ascot obviously wouldn't be as gruelling a mile as here. That was a tough race, they went at it all the way, and it was nearly like a mile-and-a-furlong.

“We know that Navy can go back to six or seven anytime, which he did last year. The St James' Palace is the last three-year-old only and we might give him another go in it. We'll see what the lads think.

“I was very happy with Gustav Klimt as well. We'd be thinking the same with him and he could go back again.

“We felt that that was an improvement on Newmarket and I was also delighted with Seamus' horse in fourth (Threeandfourpence). So I'm very happy really.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson