Romantic Warrior

Coming into Sunday's FWD Champions Day meeting--the spring Hong Kong International Races, if you will--two-time Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), reigning champion middle-distance horse Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and emerging sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) had absorbed a gut punch or two over the course of the season. But each put pay to any lingering disappointment from those efforts with eye-catching, skinny-odds victories at before a crowd of nearly 50,000 at Sha Tin Racecourse. If you had a punt, one of two things happened--you...

With a horse population that numbers around 1200, Hong Kong proudly boasts four of the top six horses in the latest Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR), each of which will be warm items Sunday when Sha Tin Racecourse plays host to its second-biggest day of international racing annually, the FWD Champions Day program. Of the quartet, Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) sits just behind Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) at the top of the heap and looks to make history when he goes in search of a third straight...

For the third time in four starts this season, this time in Sunday's G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) jumped at a quote of even-money or better, not insignificant given that his highest starting price in his 14 appearances prior to that was $1.80 (4-5). That he offered his backers $2.30 was only logical, as he was facing off with Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), perfect in four starts over the course and 2000-metre distance, which was supposed...

It was billed as a clash of the titans, with Hong Kong's three highest-rated gallopers squaring off for the first time in the G1 Stewards' Cup Sunday at Sha Tin. It certainly did not disappoint. Those who may have thought Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro)'s defeat at the hooves of California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in last month's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile signaled the beginning of the end or a changing of the guard were reminded in no uncertain terms that the 7-year-old retains all of his zest for...

Revenge is squarely on the mind of reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) as he faces one of his stiffest tests to date in Sunday's G1 Stewards' Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse. Having suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the re-opposing Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) when in search of a record-equalling 17th consecutive victory in last year's Stewards' Cup, the 7-year-old enters this race with another chip on his shoulder, having failed to reel in loose-on-the-lead California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus})...

Hong Kong Cup winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) has truly earned his stripes on the international stage after slamming an up-to-scratch field at Sha Tin, according to his co-breeder David Egan of Corduff Stud. David and his wife Henrietta are no strangers to offering big-ticket horses and enjoyed another Book 1 to remember at Tattersalls this year when selling a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) and a Sea The Stars (Ire) filly for a combined 1.4 million gns.  Romantic Warrior was knocked down to Mick Kinane on behalf of the...

They poured into Sha Tin Racecourse and Happy Valley Racecourse, roughly 45,000 of them, to take in Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting, the largest crowd in over three years. Hong Kong has been tormented in recent years by social upheaval and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020, but an easing of Draconian virus-related restrictions a few months ago meant that increasing numbers of fans are now able to partake in one of the city's greatest pastimes with considerable freedom. The connections of 24 foreign raiders accepted...

His 22 career victories is an all-time record in Hong Kong racing history. His HK$116 million (£12.2 million/US$14.7 million) in career earnings makes him not only the richest racehorse to look through a bridle in the Special Administrative Region, but also one of the richest Thoroughbreds, ever. Stanley Chan's Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) can make even more history this Sunday when he starts a long odds-on proposition in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, a victory in which will tie Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan) with three straight wins...

Owner Edmond Yue Kwok-yin splashed out HK$7 million on the advice of trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing for a 3-year-old son of Starspangledbanner (Aus) at the Hong Kong International Sale, and the gelding made a small, but not insignificant first return on that investment with a handy career debut Wednesday evening at Happy Valley Racecourse. Nordic Dragon (Ire) had made a favourable impression in a pair of barrier trials, winning one such event going 1200-metres around the city circuit Oct. 14 (video) and another when switched to the dirt track at...

Invitations for this year's Longines Hong Kong International Races were made public prior to the start of the Happy Valley meeting Wednesday, with a total of 24 overseas horses--five more than last year--from Australia, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Singapore among the invitees. In the history of the HKIR, only one horse--Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan)--has managed to score three victories at the meeting. More history could be made this year when two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) and Japan's Glory Vase (Jpn)...

Further easing in the local COVID restrictions meant that the biggest crowd since January--better than 13,000 racegoers--took in Sunday's BOCHK Jockey Club meeting at Sha Tin in person and were they ever rewarded. Making their seasonal debuts and having a single prep towards next month's Longines Hong Kong International Races, both two-time defending Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) and last year's champion 4-year-old Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) were outstanding in taking out the G2 Jockey Club Mile and G2 Jockey Club Cup, respectively, while Lucky...

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) joined the likes of Hong Kong legends Fairy King Prawn (Aus), Silent Witness (Aus), Ambitious Dragon (NZ) and Beauty Generation (NZ) in being named Horse of the Year in Hong Kong for the second consecutive season during ceremonies held Friday evening at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Happy Valley Clubhouse. The 6-year-old won his first two starts of the year, including a facile defence of his title in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in December, but suffered just the second loss of his career...