Regally bred Romantica broke through at the group I level in France Aug. 18 when she captured the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.
Juddmonte's 4-year-old Galileo filly out of U.S. and European champion Banks Hill tracked pacesetter Dalkala, took command 200 meters out, and stayed on superbly to win by 1 1/4 lengths from late-charging Sarkiyla.
The race had an anxious moment when Dalkala drifted into Romantica and carried the winner with her. But once clear Romantica asserted herself, easily besting Dalkala's stablemate Sarkiyla, who took second nearing the finish line.
Ridden by Maxime Guyon for trainer Andre Fabre, Romantica covered 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) in 2:10.72 on a course rated as good to firm. As the 7-5 favorite with Racing Post, she won her third group stakes. A consistent performer for Fabre, she took her record to four wins, two seconds, and two thirds from nine career starts.
A year ago at Deauville, Romantica earned her first group win in the Shadwell Prix de la Nonette (Fr-II) at the Jean Romanet distance. She disappointed in a subpar performance next out in her group I debut in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Fr-I) in September, her 3-year-old finale. Her ninth-place finish is the only off-the-board showing of her career.
Romantica began 2013 on a winning note, taking the 2,000-meter Prix Allez France (Fr-III) April 29 at Chantilly. She returned at Saint-Cloud May 24 and finished third in the 2,100-meter (about 1 5/16-mile) Prix Corrida (Fr-III). After nearly three months off, the freshened filly delivered a standout effort in the Jean Romanet.
A Juddmonte Farms homebred, Romantica is out of the Danehill mare Banks Hill. She is a daughter of Juddmonte's legendary broodmare Hasili, who also produced Banks Hill's full siblings and top-level winners Champs Elysees, Intercontinental, and Cacique, and group II winner Dansili, who was multiple group I-placed, and half sisters Heat Haze, a group I winner, and Deluxe, a grade II winner who also was group I-placed.
Banks Hill won the 2001 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) en route to the Eclipse Award as the season's champion turf female. She also was Europe's champion 3-year-old filly the same season. As a broodmare, Banks Hill is the dam of three winners, including multiple French stakes winner Ideal World, by Kingmambo, who is group II-placed.
