Saltonstall claims scalp of Romanised to complete hat-trick in style

There are a lot of things we did not expect to see in 2020 and, while multiple Group 1 winner Romanised running at Dundalk on a Monday afternoon in mid-November might not have been the most bizarre turn of events, it was quite a lift at the start of the week.

Ken Condon picked the mile conditions event for last year's Jacques le Marois winner as a prep for Hong Kong next month but the 8-13 favourite was only third behind the still-improving Saltonstall.

A sluggish start, combined with a modest gallop and having to give away lumps of weight to a 111-rated rival, all contributed to Romanised's defeat, but Condon probably won't be too deflated when he reflects on the size of the task that faced his stable star.