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SARGA.CO – Behind the roaring cheers for King Argentin clinching the Triple Crown title, there lies a heroic tale of Romantic Spartan—a red filly sired by Fort De Cok and Nan Diati—who delivered a stunning performance in the 3-Year-Old Derby Class – 2,000 Meters at the IHR-Indonesia Derby 2025.
Romantic Spartan finished in third place after putting up a fierce fight against two horses from King Halim Stable: King Argentin and Princess Gavi. For her jockey, Rudi Junior, this result was more than enough to prove that Romantic Spartan is far from just another underdog.
A Patient and Measured Strategy
Rudi revealed that from the start, the plan was never to push Romantic Spartan to the front.
"The result is very satisfying. We didn’t aim to lead from the beginning. The strategy was to stay mid-pack so we wouldn’t fall too far behind. It was all about controlling the pace," Rudi explained.
Romantic Spartan was in 8th place early in the race. However, Rudi’s calm handling and pacing paid off. By the second turn, Romantic Spartan began overtaking the horses ahead, climbing up to 5th position.
A Showdown in the Final Turns
The peak of the tension came during the last two turns. Running neck and neck with Wonderland and King Argentin, Romantic Spartan launched a full sprint. Meanwhile, behind them, Princess Gavi was waiting for the perfect moment to surge ahead.
"At that point, with 600 meters left, Gavi pushed into second, and King Argentin was already in front. Romantic Spartan was holding third," said Rudi.
Rudi saw no signs of a “team order” strategy from King Halim Stable, despite them holding the top two spots.
“I didn’t see any team order tactics from King Halim Stable. Gavi and Argentin were still keeping to their races,” he added.
A Rising Star on the Track
Although she didn’t defeat King Argentin, Romantic Spartan succeeded in capturing the attention of Indonesia’s horse racing fans. Her aggressive push in the final stretch earned the filly from San Marino Stable, West Sumatra, a reputation as one of the most promising horses this season.
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