Designs On Rome is a bay gelding bred in Ireland by the Moyglare Stud. He was sired by Holy Roman Emperor, one of the leading European two-year-olds of his generation, who unusually began his stud career as a three-year-old. The best of his other progeny have included the 1000 Guineas winner Homecoming Queen and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship winner Rich Tapestry. Designs On Rome's dam Summer Trysting failed to win but finished second on five occasions and was closely related to the Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow.
Racing career
2012: two-year-old season
Designs On Rome ran five times as a juvenile in 2012. In May finished third in a maiden race at Gowran Park and fourth in a similar event at the Curragh. He recorded his first success in a seven furlong maiden at Naas in August, beating the Dermot Weld-trained favourite Mouteab by two lengths at odds of 9/2. Later that month, in a nursery race he finished second to Sugar Boy, to whom he was conceding seven pounds. On his final appearance as a juvenile, Designs On Rome was moved up to Group One class for the National Stakes at the Curragh. Starting a 28/1 outsider, he finished second of the seven runners behind Dawn Approach.
2013/2014 season
In 2013, Designs On Rome was bought by Cheng Keung Fai and sent to Hong Kong where he was trained by John Moore. On his first appearance for his new connections he won the Sha Tin Trophy, a one-mile handicap race at Sha Tin Racecourse. In January 2014 he finished second to the favoured Able FriendHong Kong Classic Mile, before defeating the same horse to record his first major success in the Hong Kong Classic Cup a month later. Designs On Rome met Able Friend for the third time in the Hong Kong Derby over ten furlongs in March and won again, prevailing over his rival by half a length. In April Designs On Rome won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, beating Military Attack by a neck, with the South African runner Vercingetorix in third and Epiphaneia in fourth. When moved up in distance for the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup over 2400 metres in May he started the 2/5 favourite, but finished fifth of the eight runners behind Blazing Speed. He was ridden by Tommy Berry in this season's major races.
2014/2015 season
In this season, Designs On Rome is ridden by Joao Moreira. He failed to win in his first three starts in the autumn of 2014. He finished third when attempting to concede three pounds to Gold-Fun in the Celebration Cup over 1400 metres on 5 October, eighth behind Military Attack in the 1600 metre Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy three weeks later and fifth to Blazing Speed in the Jockey Club Cup in November. After that, He won the Hong Kong Cup on 14 December by beating Military Attack with a short-head. In 2015, he continued his winning way by winning both the Centenary Vase and the Hong Kong Gold Cup. In March he was sent to the United Arab Emirates to contest the Sheema Classic. He came from well off the pace to finish fourth behind Dolniya, Flintshire and One And Only. On his return to Hong Kong he finished fourth to Blazing Speed in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. He then missed the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup due to injury, and have to undergo an arthroscopic joint surgery.
2015/2016 season
Designs On Rome came back from the surgery with his seasonal debut in the Jockey Club Mile as a prep race for the Hong Kong Cup, in which he finishes sixth. He then steps up to his best trip of 2000M in the Hong Kong Cup, which he won the year before. But this time he could only manage to fourth behind the Japanese A Shin Hikari and Nuovo Record. In his next start in the one mile Stewards' Cup, he disappointed, finishing eighth. He races again a month later at his optimum trip of 2000M in the Hong Kong Gold Cup, but this time ridden by his old partner Tommy Berry, according to the owner's will. He stayed in the tail of the field, but being pushed 800M from home, setting off his trademark early run. He sustained his momentum and held off stable companion Helene Happy Star by a comfortable half-length margin, claiming back-to-back victories in the Hong Kong Gold Cup. Designs On Rome proved his class and demolished all the suspicions that he would not return to his best again after the injury. He then finished third in the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy as a lead-up for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
