Warrior's battling triumph in Cox Plate a Hong Kong win made in Ireland

Romantic Warrior's last gasp triumph in the Group 1 Cox Plate on Saturday morning created racing history as he is the first winner of the famed race to be trained in Hong Kong but the five-year-old is a truly international champion, and his Moonee Valley success resonated loudly in his birthplace of County Kildare.

The son of Rathbarry Stud stalwart Acclamation was bred by James Egan of Corduff Stud and his great friend Tim Rooney, and Egan's daughter-in-law Henrietta, who along with husband David runs the family farm in Prosperous, took time out from a hectic schedule that includes selling at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale to reflect on the achievement.

She said: "It was brilliant and we are so happy for the owner Peter Lau, Danny Shum the trainer and jockey James McDonald, who had such faith in the horse and rode him with such confidence; that makes such a difference. We had just a small part in his success because there is a massive web of people involved in a great horse."

Watching the drama unfold live was not an option for the family as the race wasn't available on any of the usual platforms but social media played its part in piecing the story together.

"We eventually got to watch it thanks to Twitter. All I could see was a flared nostril, which he won by, and over the space of 15 or 20 minutes you could go back and get a more substantial recording of the race. It was amazing, amazing."

Romantic Warrior is the third foal out of Folk Melody who won a Newmarket maiden on her sole start at two for Saeed bin Suroor. The daughter of EP Taylor Stakes and Prix Jean Romanet winner Folk Opera was purchased for €82,000 through Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock from the Godolphin draft at the 2016 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale.

"David is very keen on Street Cry mares and she was a good example. She had her first foal on the ground, a filly by Iffraaj, and was in foal to Exceed And Excel," she explains. 

That Iffraaj filly is the winning Pennywhistle while the Exceed And Excel filly she was carrying at the time of her purchase is the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes fourth Melodic Charm.

Romantic Warrior and James McDonald salute the crowd after winning the Hong Kong Cup

"He was a very good proven stallion and we had a share in him so we decided to send her to him and look what she produced!" Egan explained of the decision to use Acclamation.

Romantic Warrior was consigned by Corduff Stud at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale where he was chosen by legendary jockey Michael Kinane. As well as breeding Derby winner Authorized, his accomplishments include winning the Melbourne Cup on Vintage Crop. In his purchasing role for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Kinane bought the now four-time Group 1 winner for 300,000gns.

Folk Melody is the dam of three winners from four runners and has a three-year-old Showcasing colt in training with Bryan Smart for Bond Thoroughbreds. Named Operation Gimcrack, he has been placed twice this season. 

Egan had an update on the younger progeny of Folk Melody.

"We took her Showcasing yearling to Book 1 but we still own him and plans for him are forming on the kitchen table as we speak. She has a very nice New Bay colt who will go to the yearling sales next year."

"She wasn't covered this year but there are lots of plans in the pipeline, nothing fixed but we will think very carefully again. She is still only 12 so she is a young mare and it's very exciting," she added.

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