Holy Roman Emperor

Holy Roman Emperor is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He was a leading two-year-old racehorse, winning four races from seven runs in Europe in 2006. Background Holy Roman Emperor was sired by Danehill out of a Secretariat mare. Holy Roman Emperor was trained by Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Racing career In 2006 Holy Roman Emperor won two Group One races, the Phoenix Stakes where he defeated the Coventry Stakes winner Hellvelyn and subsequent Group One winning filly Miss Beatrix and the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère where he defeated the useful French colt Battle Paint. He also defeated subsequent three-year-old mile champion Excellent Art producing a blistering turn of foot to win the Group Two Railway Stakes at the Curragh. His greatest rival was Teofilo, to whom he finished runner-up twice, firstly in the National Stakes, and later in the Dewhurst Stakes. There was great anticipation of another year of races between the pair, but it was decided in March 2007 to retire Holy Roman Emperor to stud as a replacement for George Washington, who was suffering fertility problems (and was also a son of Danehill).