Indonesia
English
Follow
SARGA.CO—From the pressure-filled national track, Romantic Spartan emerges as a surprise from West Sumatra. Her debut at the IHR: Indonesia Derby 2025 confirms that horses from the region are forces to be reckoned with in major competitions.
A surprise on the national racing track came from the land of West Sumatra. From there, Romantic Spartan, a racehorse that has successfully stolen the public's attention, emerged.
This mare, a top contender for the San Marino Stable, finished third in the 2,000-meter 3-Year-Old Derby Class at the IHR: Indonesia Derby 2025, held on July 27 at Sultan Agung Racetrack, Bantul, DIY.
The Romantic Spartan demonstrated her quality from the qualifying round of Heat 1 on July 13, 2025. In the midst of fierce competition against the best horses in Indonesia, she finished in third place with a time of 2 minutes 20.47 seconds.
That time was only slightly behind King Argentin, who recorded a time of 2.20.43, and Padagi NSL at 2.20.45. This result was enough to take her to the most prestigious class, the 2,000-meter 3-year-old Derby Class.
Romantic Spartan's qualification for the IHR: Indonesia Derby 2025 final was no coincidence. Since the previous year, she has consistently won various regional horse racing events.
Her list of achievements includes first place in the Beginner A/B Class at Wali Kota Bukittinggi Cup in July 2024, as well as first place at the Sawahlunto Derby in December 2024 in the 3-Year-Old - 1,500 meters Class.
In 2025, Romantic Spartan once again made his mark as champion at the Derby Wali Kota Payakumbuh Cup championship for the Derby Div. I - 1,600 meters Class held in February 2025.
She also successfully secured the top podium at the Wisata Derby Bukittinggi Agam in May 2025 in the Derby - 1,700 meters Class. This record demonstrates the consistent toughness he has brought to the national stage.
The success of reaching the final is a source of pride for the West Sumatra contingent, especially for Padang Panjang. Out of the 16 racehorses that West Sumatra brought, only five horses managed to advance to the final round.
What is interesting is that Romantic Spartan is the only representative of Padang Panjang in the 3-year-old Derby Class - 2,000 meters. This achievement shows that horses from the regions can compete with big rivals from all corners of the country, especially from Java and Sulawesi.
From the start of the race, the strategy applied was not to have Romantic Spartan immediately take the front position.
The chosen approach was to maintain a controlled pace in the middle throughout the race.
This tactic proved crucial when the final match brought her together with tough opponents. Facing King Argentin, the strong candidate for the 2025 Triple Crown, as well as the rising star Wonder Land, Romantic Spartan was able to show her courage on the national stage.
Although she was held in eighth place at the beginning of the race, her consistent rhythm brought her up to fifth place at the second turn. The tension then peaked at the last two turns when Romantic Spartan was parallel with Wonderland and King Argentin, and then launched a full push.
Princess Gavi, who was behind, also tried to find a gap to overtake. Entering the last 400 meters, King Argentin led, Princess Gavi was in second, while Romantic Spartan held on to third place until the finish line.
The dominance of King Halim Stable through King Argentin and Princess Gavi forced Romantic Spartan to fight harder to face the pressure of the two leading horses. As a result, she successfully secured the third podium with a consistency that deserves appreciation.
Before the IHR: Indonesia Derby 2025 was held, many eyes were on Wonder Land as the main rival of King Argentin. The racehorse belonging to Rama Sinta Stable was known to consistently stay right behind the favorite in the two previous Triple Crown series.
In fact, Wonder Land once defeated King Argentin in the 2024 National Championship in the 2-Year-Old Novice Class A/B 1,400 meters. But in the IHR: Indonesia Derby 2025 final, the scenario changed. Wonder Land was actually thrown into fourth place, while the spotlight shifted to Romantic Spartan.
Her first debut on the national track immediately became a stage of proof with a performance that shook the arena.
Since her debut, Romantic Spartan has always been accompanied by her loyal jockey, Rudy Rahmat also known as Rudy Junior. Rudy has been controlling the red horse since she first entered the arena.
According to Rudy, this horse has a unique characteristic as a stayer, tending to come from behind before closing the race with full power.
The moment when Romantic Spartan showed her ability as a stayer became the 'click' point for Rudy, as well as strengthening the chemistry between the two.
Rudy emphasizes that preparations must be thorough, from diet to daily training. Even approaching the IHR: Indonesia Derby 2025 event, the training portion remains consistent without special changes or specifications.
Rudy says that the biggest challenge is the difference in track character between the tracks in Java and in West Sumatra.
"Besides the different track conditions, the weather in Java is also hotter than in West Sumatra," he added.
For that reason, an adaptation strategy was prepared with a plan to arrive at the competition venue earlier so that the horse had enough time to adjust.
After the IHR: Indonesia Derby 2025 event, Romantic Spartan is scheduled to return to West Sumatra to appear at the Sawahlunto Derby 2025 next December.
According to the trainer, Tuan Amris, Romantic Spartan was projected from the start to be able to compete on the tracks in Java, especially in national championships. This is inseparable from the horse's achievements in regional championships.
However, when compared to the track in West Sumatra with the same distance, the preparation must be much more mature. This is because Romantic Spartan must be able to keep up with tough rivals such as King Argentin, Princess Gavi, Kashmir Pararaja, and Wonder Land.
In addition to considering the ability of each competitor, the gate position is also an important part of the race strategy. In that final match, Romantic Spartan got gate 12 which had to be taken into account in the race plan.
Although in the end she had to be satisfied with the third position, Romantic Spartan's achievement in this event is still a brilliant record for the West Sumatra squad, especially for the San Marino Stable.
"Whatever the result of Romantic Spartan, it will be used as evaluation material for the other horses," said Amris.
Although she did not manage to defeat King Argentin, Romantic Spartan's aggressive performance was in the spotlight. From a lagging start to a full push at the end of the track, she showed a fighting spirit that made the public pay attention.
Romantic Spartan's brilliant debut proves that racehorses from the regions also have the capacity to compete on the national track. This achievement also opens eyes to the fact that the potential of Indonesian horse racing is much greater than has been seen so far.
In addition, Romantic Spartan's success in achieving the third podium on the national stage gives hope for the birth of new stars who will enliven the world of horse racing in the country.
Up next, Romantic Spartan is set to shake up the track once again at Kubu Gadang Payakumbuh, West Sumatra, in the IHR Cup II on September 28, 2025. Are you ready to witness the surprise from Romantic Spartan?
Install SARGA.CO News
sarga.co
Rekomendasi