Elkær Stutteri’s Irish import Romanov won Derby Day’s big two-year-old contest, the Goffs Futurity Stakes, as favourite – confirming the impressive impression left by his winning debut at Øvrevoll.
Expectations were high for Romanov beforehand in the Goffs Futurity Stakes worth DKK 200,000, and the son of Starspangledbanner did not disappoint.
Together with Carlos Lopez, the bay gelding won the biggest Danish two-year-old clash of the season so far by half a length from the Veronika Jandová-trained Killian (Galileo Gold) and Søren Jensen’s smart debutant Mallee Sand (Footstepsinthesand).
Romanov had, of course, impressed on his debut at Øvrevoll, where among others he beat Al Rihla – who has since won twice in a row in commanding style – and the favourite’s mantle was carried safely home to a first prize of DKK 100,000.
For Niels Petersen and Carlos Lopez it was a second consecutive win from the start of the card, and the pair would later double that tally.
Elkær Stutteri secured Romanov through agent Edgar Byrne at last year’s Goffs Orby Sale at Kildare Paddocks, and he is now the third winner out of the Shamardal mare My Call, herself a dual winner.
The second dam, Hush Money (Westminster), won both the Derby (Gr.1) and the Oaks (Gr.1) in Chile, and she has since become the foundation mare of several Group winners in Argentina.
