Post-Race Analysis:
Camden, SC Nov. 19, 2000 - In a romantic turn-of-events, Arch Kingsley,
who is scheduled to be married to Wendy Fletcher tomorrow, rode
Timber Bay Farm's Romantic to an upset victory in the 31st edition
of the Colonial Cup. Romntic defeated Campanile and All Gong (GB)
to take the $100,000 Grade I race. Kingsley, who picked up the mount
on Romantic when Ninepins (GB) scratched, earned his second consecutive
Colonial Cup victory, having captured the race for the first time
in his career last year on Ninepins.
Romantic is trained by Hall-of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard,
who won the Colonial Cup for the tenth time in his illustrious career.
“It looked like there would be speed in the race (from Assurance
and Master McGrath), and I think Assurance might have helped us
(by staying on the lead),” said Sheppard, who bred Romantic. “Romantic
had been off form this summer but won two weeks ago at Calloway
Gardens, so I was hopeful but not optimistic for this race.”
“Romantic runs well on soft ground, and he made a big gallop here,”
Kingsley said. “He was overdue to win one of these Grade I races.
He did it on the right day at the right time.” The final time for
the 2 and 3/4 mile marathon, run in a light rain over a soft course,
was a dawdling 5:19.1, more than 12 seconds slower than the Stake
record of 5:07 established by Ninepins last year.
Assurance lead for most of the 2 and 3/4 mile race, but 8-year-old
Romantic, who had been placed well back in the field early, moved
into second place around the final turn, followed closely by Campanile
under Sean Clancy in third and All Gong, ridden by Blythe Miller,
in fourth. Assurance maintained his lead over the last two fences
in the home stretch but faded quickly during the run-in. Romantic
surged by Assurance shortly after the last fence and went on to
capture the first Grade I race of his career by 1 and 1/4 lengths
over Campanile. It was another length back to All Gong, who finished
third.
Romantic had made just one start over fences since Saratoga, where
he was pulled-up before the last fence in the Grade I New York Turf
Writers' Cup. Prior to that, the gray gelding was beaten 20 lengths
while finishing sixth in the Grade II A.P. Smithwick, also at Saratoga.
While Romantic now has lifetime earnings of $393,046, prior to his
victory in the $35,000 Grade III Crown Royal Stakes two weeks before
the Colonial Cup he had earned just $12,435 from four starts this
year.
With Romantic's victory in the Colonial Cup, Mr. Calvin Houghland's
All Gong (GB) appears to have backed his way into Steeplechase Horse-of-the-Year
honors. All Gong, who won the $250,000 Breeders' Cup steeplechase
in his last start before the Colonial Cup, is the only horse to
have won two unrestricted Grade I steeplechase races this year.
Voting for the Eclipse award will take place next month and will
be announced early next year.
Campanile, who was third in last year's Colonial Cup, concluded
his hard-luck 2000 campaign by finishing second in a Grade I race
for the third time this year. Prior to the Colonial Cup, the 6-year-old
son of Lear Fan had also been second in Royal Chase and the New
York Turf Writer's Cup, both of which are Grade I fixtures. The
bay gelding was being ridden for the first time by Sean Clancy.
The late Jonathan Kiser had ridden Campanile in the Royal Chase,
while Blythe Miller piloted him in the New York Turf Writers' Cup
and in his lone victory this year, which occurred in the $75,000
Grade II A.P. Smithwick.
Ninepins, who won last year's Colonial Cup defeating Muscle Car
by a nose, had an outside chance of claiming Championship honors
if he had won this year's Colonial Cup. The 13-year-old veteran
had one victory from five starts this year, that win coming in the
$100,000 Grade I New York Turf Writer's Cup. However, any hopes
that Ninepins had of gaining the Eclipse award were dashed when
he became a late scratch along with Brown Lad.
The complete results of the Colonial Cup are set forth below.
Rosport of Germany wins Fegentri International
World Cup for Amateur Riders
Nov. 18, 2000. Aiken, SC - Michael Rosport of Germany rode Woods
Landing to victory in the Fegentri International World Cup, a 2
and 1/2 mile hurdle race for amateur riders, defeating Edgar Byrne
of Ireland and Dennis Persson of Sweden. Woods Landing is owned
by Mrs. George Sensor and trained by Ricky Hendricks, who won three
of the five races on the Aiken card.
Only 20 years old, Mr. Rosport was the top amateur rider in Germany
in 1997 and has already won 95 amateur races in his career. It was
his second victory in America, as Rossport had previously captured
a flat race at Suffolk Downs in 1998. Rosport won the Fegentri Steeplechase
at Baden-Baden earlier this year, as well as winning the Fegentri
Steeplechase in Bad Harzburg last year. Mr. Rosport is accustomed
to international travel, as he won four races on a trip to Malaysia
in 1998 and captured three races in France in 1999.
The United States was represented by Colvin (Greg) Ryan, who finished
fourth in the Fegentri International World Cup. Mr. Ryan has won
104 steeplechase races in the United States, many of them while
competing against professional riders. Now in his mid-30's, Mr.
Ryan has been riding over fences since 1988. He had two victories
in 31 trips to the post this year.
World Amateur-2000 Fegentri Standings: 1. Thierry Steeger, France
(167 points) 2. Matthias Keller, Germany (74 points) 3. Guillermo
Arrizkoreta, Spain (74 points) 4. Yves von Ballmoos, Switzerland
(63 points) 5. Edgar Byrne, Ireland (50 points) 6. Elie Hennau,
Belgium (34 points) 7. Dennis Persson, Sweden (34 points) 8. Philip
Prichard, Great Britain (28 points) 9. Vincent Plouviez, Netherland
(21 points) 10. Nils Dieseth, Norway (13 points).
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Romantic (#5), shown here leading Ninepins (right) in
the New York Turf Writers' Cup at Saratoga, won the first
Grade I race of his career when he captured the Colonial Cup.
|
Arch Kingsley, shown here in the winner's circle at
Saratoga, notched his third Grade I victory of the 2000
season when he captured the Colonial Cup aboard Romantic.
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Colonial Cup Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Romantic |
156 |
Kingsley |
Sheppard |
Timber Bay Farm |
|
2
|
Campanile |
156 |
Clancy |
Elliot |
Gregory Hawkins |
|
3
|
All Gong (GB) |
156 |
B. Miller |
F.B. Miller |
Calvin Houghland |
|
4
|
Assurance |
156 |
Boucher |
Fisher |
Mrs. Henry S. Stern |
|
5
|
Rowdy Irishman |
156 |
Marzullo |
Haynes |
Vesta Balestiere |
|
5
|
Master McGrath |
156 |
Brown |
Elliot |
William C. Lickle |
|
6
|
Allgrit |
156 |
Delozier |
Sheppard |
Hudson River Farms |
|
Fell
|
Iron County Xmas |
156 |
C. Miller |
C. Miller |
Mrs. Lewis C. Ledyard |
|
Scr
|
Ninepins (GB) |
156 |
|
Sheppard |
Hudson River Farms |
|
Scr
|
Brown Lad |
156 |
|
Edwards |
Brigadoon Stable |
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Pedigree for ROMANTIC:
ROMANTIC G, 1992 DP = 7-1-8-0-0 (16) DI = 3.00 CD = 0.94
NEARCO
NEARCTIC 1935 [BC]
1954 LADY ANGELA
ICECAPADE 1944
1969 [BC] NATIVE DANCER
SHENANIGANS 1950 [IC]
1963 BOLD IRISH
THE COOL VIRGINIAN 1948
1976 DHOTI
ROYAL GEM II 1936
1942 FRENCH GEM
VIRGINIA JIGGERS 1935
1960 WAR ADMIRAL
ADMIRATION 1934 [C]
1950 SONG
1932
DOUBLE JAY
SPRING DOUBLE 1944 [B]
1963 SUNSET GUN II
DOUBLE ZEUS 1955
1975 RIDAN
KIT'S PLAY 1959
1965 KIT'S PET
ROMANISSIMO 1956
1984 CYANE
MO BAY 1959
1969 RUM BOTTLE BAY
MARTIE'S DELIGHTED 1959
1977 MARTINS RULLAH
MARTIE'S MAD 1955
1966 WIG CRAZE
1961
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Breeding Analysis:
Breeding Analysis of winner to follow.....
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Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree | Breeding
Analysis
