Romancer’s thrilling win at Flemington on Saturday was a breakthrough for the six-year-old and well-deserved for a patient group of owners.
Romancer caused a minor upset when he won the $100,000 1600m Handicap at Headquarters, with apprentice Teo Nugent aboard. Appreciating the inside barrier, the gelding settled off the speed before dashing home in the last 200m to beat favourite Orderofthegarter. The long awaited victory was a welcome reward for connections.
It’s a double for @TeoNugent1 at @FlemingtonVRC as Romancer bounces back into the winners stall. ???????? @OTIRacing @Grahame_Begg pic.twitter.com/m9qCNUhGU3
— Racing.com (@Racing) July 18, 2020
Romancer was originally purchased as a yearling in New Zealand by trainer Donna Logan. After being relocated to Australia in 2018, Donna maintained a share, along with an ownership group hailing from both New Zealand and Australia.
A one-time favourite for the New Zealand Derby, Romancer consistently displayed talent as a sprinter. With his last win taking place 11 months ago at Moonee Valley, his owners have patiently allowed the horse to develop under trainer Grahame Begg. Romancer’s return to the winner’s stall saw his career earnings surpass $474,000.
The horse’s affinity with Flemington has been well-demonstrated with two of his last three wins taking place at the track. Grahame Begg is looking forward to seeing the horse return in the spring. “We might back off him and have another crack going into September and October”, he said after the race.
OTI and our partners look forward to seeing Romancer contest black-type races in the spring.
Watch Romancer’s win at Flemington in full here.
