“a romantic end to a flawless campaign” – multiple Group 1 wins across Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and Dubai. He is the only horse ever to win four Hong Kong Cups and one of only three horses to complete the Hong Kong Triple Crown – 30 starts 23 wins.
Lot 975 Acclamation (GB) / Folk Melody (IRE) B.C. (IRE)
Corduff Stud, Ireland
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
300,000gns
Tattersalls October Book 2 2019
He really was a beautiful yearling –“We’re Very Proud Of Him,” – Corduff Stud Camp Delighted With Romantic Warrior

20 October 2019 ·Newmarket, United Kingdom
Romantic Warrior’s trainer Danny Shum saw a superior individual and made good advice to owner Peter Lau Pak-fai, as pick of them all. It was his head, his eye.
@ (youtube) vincent o’brien on conformation – “take his head for a start”
The best of the best will identify they move fluid, flexible, elastic, powerful. Intelligences to head are with inner character. They grow a stride ‘electric’.
Profile
TBL Research and analysis explores the immeasurable impact of Musket upon the Thoroughbred – to correlate his ‘type’/phenology influence.
Romantic Warrior: @Pedigree distaff with 4th dam sire @The Minstrel (Northern Dancer ) from Fleur 7S x 6d x 8D Trenton by Musket, 2nd dam Flaming Top (USA) & @ Nijinsky (Flaming Page) its line to Halling (USA), the 3rd dam sire. Flaming Page > 7S x 6S x 9D x 8D Musket.
Acclamation, 4th paternal @ Try My Best (dam, Sex-Appeal) has 5x Musket (Carbine/Trenton) + 4 x Trenton (note, raced from 6 furlongs & 3 miles) & 7x Spearmint by Carbine.

Musket was scorned for his slow development. The owner/breeder the eccentric Lord Glasgow had an uncompromising attitude, culling any stock not to his liking. Reportedly, it was to be Musket’s fate on the basis of one trial in which he got beaten. His trainer intervened.
The Australasian colony breeders said the ‘Muskets’ were a breed on their own. His stamina and stayer and strength endowed to his progeny became champions of the turf. His racing performances at two and three miles were with astonishing weights. “They gallop in all shapes” and Musket, in the front rank of stayers, built with dray-horse quarters with his bull neck deep, had weight-carrying power.
He was sent to New Zealand as carriage, stock & station sire, his racing stock struck gold yet regarded with faults & imperfection. Sire Toxopholite. a bleeder and from a family prone to wind afflictions, from an unnamed mare by West Australian. West Australian had not yet proved the great sire influence he was to become.
Whilst Musket’s get Carbine & Trenton were considered best of his progeny none could be accounted as failures. His first thoroughbred mare Syliva resulted in Martini-Henry, VCR Mares Produce Stakes, VCR Melbourne Cup, VCR Victoria Derby, VCR St.Leger Stakes. Trenton his 2nd New Zealand crop won as a two-year-old and unsoundness prevented a three-year-old campaign. 13 starts 8 wins, his races where compounded by shelly-feet, further competing against other Musket sons and though the Melbourne Cup eluded him his progeny Auraria and Revenue were successful. Against many odds in the Northern Hemisphere, he was the grand-dam sire of Gainsborough, sire of Hyperion. Musket son Maxim won three races as a two year-old and undefeated at three. Sold to the United States where he enjoyed siring success. His daughter Catherine Wheel, 3rd dam of Phar Lap, ancestress of Sunline (NZ), her broodmare sire is a son of Nijinsky (hence, Flaming Page) Western Symphony.

Musket stock & grandsons dispersed around the world, notably USA & Latin America. Musket daughter Ante Diem family accounted for at least 19 Argentine Classic winners, among them 1931 Triple Crown winner Mineral, as well as many other winners of top races in both Argentina and Brazil.
To the deep avenues: gold potent genetics, the Musket line did not wither but rather imprinted his enormous ability duly thanks to the foresight of a trainer who did not see him as a failure.
To define Musket, his imprinted bloodline yields the high profile type-setting.
The elites have it: the Man O War son War Admiral 3rd dam by Spearmint by Carbine, noting the MOW sireline West Australian has Musket broodmare sire.
Further by geno: the sire of Phalaris, Polymelus is the similar ‘in’ vein @ distaff ‘blood’ (Toxophilite/Quiver>Brown Bess) compare i) Musket ii) Carbine 3×4 Brown Bess.
@ Romantic Warrior
His dam Folk Melody – 5×5 Halo & of Halo – 6x Spearmint by Carbine noting Hail to Reason > 3rd dam sire St Germans, dam Hamoaze by Torpoint by Trenton.Cosmah 5×5 Spearmint
(Remember Northern Dancer has top and bottom Spearmint by Carbine via Chicle & Catnip + Hemlock, 2nd dam of Display sire of Discovery).
By genotype spectrums @ Polymelus (Toxophilite/Quiver/Brown Bess) influences Polynesian sire of Native Dancer.

Musket, dam Mersey, foal at foot Carbine
references
lot_9.pdf in Hong Kong
More Champions – Tony Arrold
Tapestry of the Turf – John Costello & Pat Finnegan

