Ramonti foils Viva Pataca in Hong Kong Cup

Ramonti showed his characteristic fighting spirit to stave off Viva Pataca (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com)

RAMONTI (Martino Alonso) earned accolades as Europe's champion miler this

year, but the Godolphin colorbearer proved that he could stretch out to about 1

1/4 miles with a typically gritty success in Sunday's $2.6 million Hong Kong Cup

(HK-G1) at Sha Tin. Under a heady Frankie Dettori ride, Ramonti got the jump on

local star Viva Pataca (Marju) and held that rival at bay by a half-length, but

the Saeed bin Suroor trainee had to survive a stewards' inquiry and an objection before he was declared

the official winner.

Although Ramonti was widely expected to go straight to the front, Shadow Gate

(White Muzzle [GB]) and Royal Prince (Mark of Esteem [Ire]) positioned

themselves at the head of affairs. After a ridiculous opening quarter in :27.60,

Royal Prince wound up on the lead through splits of :52.40 and 1:16.50. Dettori

spotted Ramonti perfectly in third, and that early tactical advantage over Viva

Pataca was the key to the outcome.

Frankie Dettori celebrates in his usually exuberant manner (Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club)

The stewards decided to take a closer look at the stretch run, and Kinane

himself lodged an objection, claiming that Ramonti interfered with Viva Pataca.

After review, the stewards ruled that the incident did not cost Viva Pataca the

race, and allowed the result to stand.

"He's one of the bravest horses I've ever ridden," Dettori raved. "It was his

first time over 10 furlongs, and he was a bit keen because of the slow pace, but

when I set him alight, I knew it would take a very good one to get past him.

He's one of the best."

Kinane conceded that Viva Pataca was compromised by the early crawl.

"The slow pace was the problem -- it was no help to me at all," Kinane said.

"I had some trouble in the straight, but it was really the lack of pace that was

his undoing."

The mare Musical Way (Gold Away [Ire]) crossed the wire another 2 1/2 lengths

adrift in third, trailed by Art Trader (Arch), Shadow Gate, Vengeance of Rain (Zabeel)

and Royal Prince.

Formerly based in Italy with A. & G. Botti, Ramonti bagged six stakes for his old

connections, including the 2006 Premio Vittorio di Capua (Ity-G1) and the 2005

Premio Parioli (Italian Two Thousand Guineas) (Ity-G2), and was a close second

in the 2005 Derby Italiano (Ity-G1). After finishing a commendable third in the

Hong Kong Mile (HK-G1) on last year's International program, the handsome bay

was snapped up by Godolphin.

Ramonti amply rewarded Saeed bin Suroor's decision to step him up in trip (Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club)

The five-year-old has yet

to finish worse than second while sporting the royal blue. Ramonti battled to

game scores in the Queen Anne S. (Eng-G1), Sussex S. (Eng-G1) and Queen

Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1) most recently, and he was runner-up in the Lockinge S.

(Eng-G1) and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-G1). He has compiled an overall

mark of 19-12-5-1 with a bankroll in the vicinity of $3.5 million.

Bred in France by S P A Siba, Ramonti has a fascinating pedigree pattern,

sporting 4 x 2 inbreeding to champion full brothers Try My Best and El Gran

Senor. His dam, Fosca (El Gran Senor), is also responsible for an unraced

juvenile colt named Kefos (Ekraar). Ramonti's sixth dam is the great Meld (Alycidon),

who swept the Fillies' Triple Crown in England in 1955 by virtue of her

victories in the One Thousand Guineas S., Oaks and St Leger S.

Godolphin Racing Manager Simon Crisford summed up Sunday's achievement, with

an eye firmly on the future.

"This is one of the most prestigious races in the world to win, and we

targeted this race with Ramonti," Crisford said. "We bought him after his run in

the Mile here last year in the hope that he would develop into the Godolphin

mold of an international horse, and he has been fantastic for us. He'll have an

entry for the 10-furlong Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on the sand (on March 29)."