By Alan Carasso
Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), winner of five elite-level events in Australia, Hong Kong and Japan in 2023-2024, kicks off what promises to be an audacious season in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup over his pet distance of 2000 metres at Sha Tin Racecourse.
A history-making winner of the G1 W S Cox Plate at Moonee Valley a little over a year ago, the Tattersalls October and Hong Kong International Sale graduate defended his title in the Longines Hong Kong Cup and added the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and a third FWD QE II Cup before finishing the campaign with a breathtaking score in the Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo.
He'll be an unfinished article come Sunday, with the international races three weeks away, but he towers over the competition and should make light work of the task at hand. James McDonald jets up from Australia to renew acquaintances.
“He is good and he's had a lot of preparation. (Jockey) Hugh (Bowman) rode him for his trials and we had very positive reports,” said trainer Danny Shum of the 6-year-old, who carries a five-pound penalty. “Of course he's not (100%). But, to be honest, his condition is much better than when he went to Melbourne in the early part of last season. The horse is happy, the jockey is on top form and there's not a really strong field, so I'm confident he can run a good race.”
Tentative plans call for Romantic Warrior to focus dirt races in early 2025, with the G1 Saudi Cup and G1 Dubai World Cup potentially on the dance card.
“We've got the plan to send him to Dubai and Saudi, so I wanted to trial him on the dirt with the pacifiers and see if it helps,” Shum told South China Morning Post. “Romantic Warrior is very special and the Saudi Cup is the most important race for him. Maybe he cannot win, but if he runs in the first four, it will be a huge achievement.”
Romantic Warrior is within shouting distance of Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro)'s world-record earnings, and with that treble HOTY enjoying retirement, Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}) looms the heir apparent in that division and should take all the beating in the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile.
Group 1-placed behind California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) over 1400 metres last March, he was aggressively spotted just two weeks later in the 2000-metre BMW Hong Kong Derby and came with a late burst to just miss behind Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never). Since struggling with the wet ground in the G1 FWD Champions Mile in April, he has rattled off three straight at group level, including a 1 1/2-length defeat of the classy Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) and Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap Oct. 13.
The aforementioned California Spangle, winner of last year's G1 Al Quoz Sprint, makes an appearance in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint, where he will once again have Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) to deal with. Seven-from-nine in his career, the 4-year-old was a Group 3 winner at the tail end of last season and has picked up where he left off this term, with an easy Class 1 score opening day followed by a smooth success at long odds-on in the Oct. 20 G2 Premier Bowl Handicap. Behind him that day were the re-opposing Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) and California Spangle and it will take something unexpected to see him beaten on Sunday.
Fields, form and all you need for Sunday's (17 November) 11-race fixture at Sha Tin, featuring a Group 2 triple-header. #HKIR #HKracing
Race Card 👉 https://t.co/N0u0M9B2mC pic.twitter.com/p2ENpBZ1b8
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) November 15, 2024
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