Romantic Warrior steams clear under James McDonald (Picture: HKJC)
HKJC
Romantic Warrior Reigns Supreme In Return Group 2 Victory
Champion stayer Romantic Warrior’s imperious G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m) triumph at Sha Tin on Sunday (17 November) has laid the foundations for Danny Shum’s ambitious 2024/25 campaign, crowned by a bid for a third consecutive HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) victory next month.
Extending his current winning streak to six, Romantic Warrior (128lb) claimed his second BOCHK Jockey Club Cup with a commanding performance under James McDonald, defeating Ka Ying Generation (123lb) and Nimble Nimbus (123lb) in 1m 59.70s.
Taking his overall record to 16 wins and three seconds from 21 starts, Romantic Warrior boosted his prize money earnings to HK$154.92 million to continue his pursuit of retired Golden Sixty’s world record haul of HK$167.17 million.
Jumping from barrier one, Romantic Warrior settled in sixth place behind Sword Point and, as the field approaching the home turn, McDonald angled off the fence and fanned four-wide to challenge. Taking over at the 400m, Romantic Warrior exploded clear to win – eased down – by four and a quarter lengths.
Returning to Hong Kong for a five-week stint, McDonald was awestruck by Romantic Warrior’s victory, marking the New Zealander’s ninth win from 10 rides on the Hong Kong International Sale graduate.
“He’s like the prize fighter, isn’t he? Heavyweight champion of the world. You never really get nervous on him because he’s so good. He’s an incredible horse. I love him to bits and he’s very good,” McDonald said.
“You still got to go out and do it and (from) barrier one, you’re dictated to a little bit but he’s just so good – he can get you out of situations that other horses can’t. Just a phenomenal horse, I’m so proud of him. He’s come back in terrific order, he never lets you down ever and he’s just got this amazing will to win. It’s something I’ve never come across.”
Shum was pleased with his champion’s performance ahead of what he expects to be a far tougher assignment on 8 December.
“He was a little bit keen because he’d been off for five months, so he was a bit fresh. James put him in behind them and the fast pace suited,” Shum said. “He (McDonald) told me the horse is still improving, but I told him on 8 December it will be two different stories. The field will be totally different – much, much, much stronger than today. You see the entries – wow, so many good horses. So, it’s a tough race on December 8.”
Shum will vaccinate Romantic Warrior tomorrow (Monday, 18 November) in preparation for possible tilts at the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) in Riyadh in February and the G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m, dirt) in April.
“It will be tough for him and the team not only in the next few weeks, but the next six months,” Shum said. “If he runs good on December 8, the owner, Peter (Lau), is really keen to go (overseas). He deserves to have try. It’s once-in-a-lifetime.”
Romantic Warrior was the second leg of a Group 2 double for McDonald, who also partnered Ricky Yiu’s Voyage Bubble to victory in the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m).
Zac Purton snared jockey honours with a treble, headed by Ka Ying Rising in the G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), Fast Network and Super Love Dragon.
Matthew Poon enhanced hopes of contesting the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on 4 December with Bravehearts’ win in the Class 3 BOC Credit Card Handicap (2000m) for Mark Newnham.
Poon sits in fifth place in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship with 14 wins to trail Purton (40), Hugh Bowman (19), Vincent Ho (16) and Karis Teetan (14). With Purton and Ho already locked in for the four-race series, and Bowman comfortably placed, Poon is locked in battle with Teetan for the final spot.
A Group 1 winner in Argentina, Bravehearts boosted Newnham’s season haul to 15 wins.
Dennis Yip attributed the addition of blinkers to Fast Network as one of the factors in the lightly-raced gelding’s devastating victory in the Class 3 BOCHK Wealth Management Handicap (1000m) under Purton.
“I think the blinkers really helped today,” Yip said after the Wrote gelding clocked a blistering 55.83s in sweeping to a four and a half lengths margin. Purton also produced a superb, ground-saving ride on Chris So-trained Super Love Dragon to land the Class 4 BOCHK SME in One Handicap (1400m).
Meowth made a successful debut for Luke Ferraris and Cody Mo, who then sealed a double with Hong Kong International Sale graduate Markwin in the Class 4 BOCHK “Banking Trendytoo” Handicap (1400m).
David Eustace and Teetan struck with Silvery Breeze in the Class 3 BOCHK BOC Pay Handicap (1400m) before ex-Singapore galloper Young Superstar won the Class 3 BOCHK Asset Management Handicap (1200m) for Tony Cruz and Angus Chung.
Formerly known as Kungfu Hero, the Press Statement gelding won his only start in Singapore before joining Cruz’s stable and is raced by the HKJC Racing Club Limited.
Pierre Ng also combined with Britney Wong and Spicy Spangle, the second standby starter who gained a start with the scratchings of Exceed The Wish and Top Scorer before winning the Class 4 BOCHK Cross-Border Services Handicap (1200m).
Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (20 November).
Ka Ying Rising Smashes Sha Tin Course Record
Ka Ying Rising’s irresistible surge towards Group 1 glory continued at Sha Tin on Sunday (17 November) when David Hayes’ emerging champion sprinter powered to victory in the G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), breaking Sacred Kingdom’s long-standing track record.
Clocking 1m 07.43s despite being eased down over the last 100m by Zac Purton, Ka Ying Rising improved his overall record to eight wins and two seconds from 10 starts and took a stranglehold on the HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on 8 December.
Reeling off successive sectionals of 21.93s and 22.14s from the 800m, Ka Ying Rising (123lb) swept to a three and a quarter length victory over Howdeepisyourlove (123lb) with Helios Express (123lb) a further short head away in third to eclipse Sacred Kingdom’s mark of 1m 07.50s, set in the same race on 17 November, 2007.
There is no doubt Ka Ying Rising could have recorded an even faster time had Purton ridden out the Shamexpress four-year-old, but such was the gelding’s superiority Purton had time to blow a kiss to a camera on the inside of the track.
Settling third behind Victor The Winner and Copartner Prance after crossing from barrier 10, Ka Ying Rising stalked the speed before challenging at the 300m and, such was the 1.1 favourite’s blinding acceleration, the race was effectively over 200 metres from the finish line.
“I knew it was a track record, so I thought I would seal it with a kiss,” Purton said of his celebration. “It’s getting scary now how good he’s becoming and how easily he’s doing it. It’s a nice top-up run for the big one (LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint) next month.
“He’s certainly come a long way in a short period of time. I was on Aethero, who ran as favourite in the Hong Kong Sprint as a three-year-old but, unfortunately, he had some health problems.
“This guy is the only other horse who’s improved as rapidly as that, that I’ve been on. He’s just perfect to ride. He’s got great gate speed, he relaxes beautifully mid-race and he’s got a great turn of foot – it’s everything you need in a sprinter. He hasn’t won at Group 1 level yet, so he’s still got to do a bit.
“Every race, you need things to go right and we had things fall right in our favour today, so that was pleasing, but it was more pleasing for him to do what he did.”
David Hayes was relieved and elated post-race.
“He’s broken the track record and Zac was waving to the camera with 100m to go. What I loved about it was he forced the issue early the way he come back under him to sit third and fourth. From a trainer’s point of view, that is really something to look forward – to have a horse that relaxes in the run,” the dual Hong Kong Champion Trainer (1997/98 & 1998/99) said.
“It’s a course record held by a superstar (Sacred Kingdom). You’ve got to be pretty good to get the course record at Sha Tin when you see all these wonderful, promising horses racing on fast ground. To have your horse in the book is a bit of a thrill.
“I love looking at his action on race days – he just has that extra action. When it’s time to accelerate, when he ambles up, he really lengthens and puts races to bed really quickly. He’s a bottomless pit at the moment.
“He was a late-furnishing horse. I think that probably was why he got defeated a couple times (by Wunderbar) – he was a little bit immature. He thinks he’s undefeated because he was beaten a millimetre twice. When you see him walking around, some of the big, established sprinters here in Hong Kong look a bit more furnished than him, so there’s plenty more to come from this horse.”
Regarding the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, Hayes said: “All he has to do really now is hold his form and I can’t see any reason why he won’t. We’ve got 21 more sleeps before the big Group 1 in three weeks, so we’re really looking forward to it.
“I think he’s the horse they have to beat. I’m not sure what is coming at the moment but they will have a big job to beat him.”
John Size-trained pair Howdeepisyourlove and Helios Express again caught the eye with charging runs from the tail of the field. Howdeepisyourlove clocked the race’s fastest sectionals (21.57s, 21.86s) in storming from 10th, while Helios Express stormed from eighth (21.69s and 22.15s).
Group 1 winners Invincible Sage, Victor The Winner and California Spangle – all carrying 128lb – finished fifth, seventh and eighth, respectively.
Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (20 November).
