Reigning HK Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (IRE) was in rare form at Sha Tin on Sunday scoring a scintillating victory in the Group III BOCHK Jockey Club Cup as he seeks to win the Group I HK International Cup for a third time next month and the performance makes you think back… when was the last time this global superstar tasted defeat?
Sam White and his team at Lovatsville in Victoria have the answer to that question as they also have the horse in Gold Trip (Fr).
He might be best known for winning the 2022 Group I VRC Melbourne Cup, but there is a lot more to the credentials of Gold Trip, who was an elite WFA galloper in both hemispheres.
Fourth in the Arc de Triomphe as a three year-old behind Sottsass beaten just two and a half lengths, Gold Trip was placed in a further three G1 races in France before his export to Australia in 2021.
Under the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Gold Trip recaptured that elite European form and arguably his best ever win on our shores was in the Group I VRC Turnbull Stakes (2000m) last year when he powered away from quality imports West Wind Blows (IRE) and Soulcombe (GB) with Romantic Warrior in fourth place some four lengths back.
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Gold Trip was sourced from Europe by Australian Bloodstock with specific goals in mind and those same qualities that delivered G1 success are what sets him apart for breeders seeking an elite stallion that has more to offer than juvenile speed.
“What appealed to us in Gold Trip was his dynamic turn of foot, as we saw in that explosive performance in the Group I Turnbull Stakes. There is no doubt in my mind that he was beating the best 2000m field assembled in this country in the last 20 years and he beat them with his head on his chest,” said Jamie Lovett of Australian Bloodstock.
“Weight-for-age is our measure for the elite, however when he was asked to carry weight in the big handicaps he had the class to do that too and I believe that is a quality that will resonate with breeder’s looking to breed a genuine racehorse.”
Gold Trip has shown great fertility throughout the season so far and is available at a fee of $8,800 with late season deals on offer.
