Half-brother to Hong Kong's history maker Romantic Warrior set for debut at Pontefract

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

End Of Romance

Jayne – On Course Lady Bookmaker EBF Maiden Stakes (2.40 Pontefract, Wednesday)

What's the story?

Having twice failed to meet expectations in the sales ring – as a yearling at Tattersalls Book 1 and at the Arqana Breeze-Up in May – End Of Romance makes an eagerly anticipated debut at Pontefract on Wednesday in the colours of his co-breeder Timothy J Rooney. 

He is trained by Karl Burke, who took his individual tally of juvenile winners this season to 30 at the weekend.

How's he bred?

The Showcasing gelding is a half-brother to Hong Kong's history-maker Romantic Warrior, the first horse trained in the jurisdiction to win the Cox Plate. Unbeaten in his last six runs, all at Group 1 level, the six-year-old gelding by Acclamation has a haul of eight top-level triumphs including, most recently, the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo two months ago.

Bred by Rooney and the Egan family of Corduff Stud, he is the fifth foal out of Folk Melody, a daughter of Street Cry who has produced three winners from four runners. The only one of her offspring yet to win is Operation Gimcrack, a four-year-old full-brother to End Of Romance, who was placed twice last season for Bryan Smart.

Folk Melody was bred by Godolphin and sold as a five-year-old in foal to Exceed And Excel for €82,000 to Blandford Bloodstock at the 2016 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale.

End Of Romance ahead of Tattersalls Book 1 Credit: Tattersalls

A winner at two, she is a full-sister to Opera Lily, the unraced dam of South American Group 1 winner Mr Bailetti and Listed winner Opus Alpha. Folk Melody and Opera Lily are daughters of the EP Taylor Stakes and Prix Jean Romanet winner Folk Opera, by Singspiel. 

Third dam Skiphall is a Halling half-sister to the Listed winners Innocent Air and Skipping, who was also third in the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Handicap. Skiphall is also a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Minerve, dam of the Prix Marcel Boussac winner Proportional and of Vote Often, who won the Group 3 Park Express Stakes and was third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas for Dermot Weld and Juddmonte.

Who does he face?

End Of Romance is one of three colts making their debut in this contest. Oasis Dream has reminded everyone of his brilliance this past week and he is the broodmare sire of Hindley, the first foal of Meggys Dream, an unraced half-sister to Nunthorpe winner Mabs Cross.

Godolphin is represented by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Midnight Thunder, a son of Kodiac. His dam, Silk Words, was sold in foal to End Of Romance's sire Showcasing at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2022 for 120,000gns to Haras de Saint Pair and that foal is entered in Arqana's V2 Yearling Sale later this month. 

Silk Words is a Dubawi half-sister to the Group 1-winning juvenile Ibn Khaldun and to Veil Of Silence, dam of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Mischief Magic, and she is out of the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Fillies' Mile winner Gossamer.

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