Winning abroad is arguably the most difficult assignment in international horse racing – especially in Japan – and the enormity of challenge facing ROMANTIC WARRIOR and VOYAGE BUBBLE in the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) at Tokyo Racecourse today (Sunday, 2 June) cannot be underestimated.
As accomplished as ROMANTIC WARRIOR and VOYAGE BUBBLE are, they must contend with an unfamiliar left-handed track with testing undulations as well as 16 expertly-prepared Japanese horses.
While acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge, both Danny Shum and Ricky Yiu are confident their horses can run extremely well today in a season where ROMANTIC WARRIOR (G1 W. S. Cox Plate) and CALIFORNIA SPANGLE (G1 Al Quoz Sprint) have done Hong Kong proud on the global stage.
After a week of unsettled weather with heavy rain on Friday, the track is currently good for the Yasuda Kinen but there is the possibility of more rain, which may result in a change of going to yielding, which may not be ideal for ROMANTIC WARRIOR and VOYAGE BUBBLE, who are the two highest-rated horses in the race which also features four other individual Group 1 winners.
I would like to wish Danny and Ricky, jockeys James McDonald and Zac Purton and the owners of ROMANTIC WARRIOR and VOYAGE BUBBLE the best of luck as they attempt to win this very prestigious race for a third time for Hong Kong after FAIRY KING PRAWN (2000) and BULLISH LUCK (2006).
The G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) is carded as S3-1 and will be run at 2.40pm today. Many of the Japanese runners are well known in Hong Kong with SOUL RUSH, NAMUR, SERIFOS, GEOGLYPH, ELTON BAROWS and DANON SCORPION having competed at Sha Tin.
The pace in this race is always fast and a maximum field of 18 runners will ensure there is plenty of speed from the start.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR has had an incredible campaign winning the Cox Plate in Australia in October before taking the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup in December. Another victory was posted in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup in February. At his last start, he showed magnificent courage to triumph in the FWD QEII Cup after enduring a torrid run.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR has had an unbelievable season and his last win on ground less than ideal was through sheer determination and it has taken a lot out of him. One of the key questions is how he has recovered from this race and if any horse can overcome this, it is ROMANTIC WARRIOR.
James partners ROMANTIC WARRIOR again and despite switching back in distance and taking on Japan’s best milers on their home turf, ROMANTIC WARRIOR, from a perfect draw in gate seven, is a win and place selection.
VOYAGE BUBBLE posted his first Group 1 win in the Stewards’ Cup in January and then after a disappointing effort in Dubai, bounced back to finish third to BEAUTY ETERNAL in the FWD Champions Mile on 28 April. VOYAGE BUBBLE has drawn awkwardly in gate 15 but has pleased in his work in Tokyo.
VOYAGE BUBBLE looks extremely well and Zac is bullish about his chances although he has to overcome a difficult gate. He is also a win and place chance but one has to closely monitor the ground.
SOUL RUSH leads the local chances. He was fourth to GOLDEN SIXTY in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile in December and posted a dominant win over SERIFOS in the Yomuri Milers Cup at Kyoto on 21 April. SOUL RUSH has run four times at Tokyo without winning, was 13th in this race in 2022 and last year finished ninth. His win in Kyoto was impressive and he is a place chance.
SERIFOS was unplaced in the Hong Kong Mile, but showed better form when second to SOUL RUSH at Kyoto. He was fourth in this race in 2022 and last year was second to SONGLINE. SERIFOS will run well and is a place chance.
NAMUR ran well for third in the Hong Kong Mile and was narrowly beaten by FACTEUR CHEVAL in the Dubai Turf at Meydan. NAMUR was disappointing in the Victoria Mile after missing the start and being held up in running. She can improve on that run and is a place chance.
GEOGLYPH also has claims, as does PARALLEL VISION who has won both starts this year and will be partnered by Christophe Lemaire.
At Sha Tin today, the first of the feature races is the G3 Lion Rock Trophy (1600m), which carded as Race 8 at 7.35pm as part of our first twilight meeting this season.
The pace will be good to slow with CHANCHENG GLORY likely to lead from gate three. ENCOUNTERED should be able to settle close to the speed, with TAJ DRAGON and THE GOLDEN SCENERY next.
GALAXY PATCH will settle towards the tail of the field. He was outstanding when second in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and but was one-paced in the last 150m of the FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on 28 April when fifth to BEAUTY ETERNAL. Vincent Ho rides GALAXY PATCH for the first time in a race and he is a win and place chance.
CHANCHENG GLORY is 9lb out of the handicap but he was second in the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) in February and, after finishing sixth in the BMW Hong Kong Derby, switched back to 1600m and beat OUTGATE on 11 May. CHANCHENG GLORY is a place chance for Lyle Hewitson.
BEAUTY JOY was third in this race last year and won the G2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) narrowly beating BEAUTY ETERNAL before failing to make ground in the Champions Mile when seventh. BEAUTY JOY is capable of much better and Brenton Avdulla and Tony Cruz have been a formidable combination this season. BEAUTY JOY is a place chance despite conceding weight to all his rivals.
TAJ DRAGON and ATULLIBIGEAL fought out the finish of a competitive Class 1 race over 1400m on 19 May. Both are racing in good form and have place claims.
The G3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) is carded as Race 9 at 8.10pm.
The pace will be good with VICTOR THE WINNER likely to cross from the outside gate to lead. STOLTZ is resuming and will be on the speed with KA YING RISING. SIGHT SUCCESS and INVINCIBLE SAGE settling just off the leading group.
INVINCIBLE SAGE finished too strongly for CALIFORNIA SPANGLE to win the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) on 28 April. Since that run, INVINCIBLE SAGE has been in Conghua and looked good winning a trial there last week. Hugh Bowman should have INVINCIBLE SAGE in a perfect position from gate two and he is a win and place chance.
VICTOR THE WINNER led from a wide gate and proved too good when winning the Centenary Sprint Prize in January. He was brave when third in Japan before finishing seventh behind INVINCIBLE SAGE last start. Derek Leung will look to lead from his wide gate and VICTOR THE WINNER is a place chance.
KA YING RISING is the X-Factor, having had his first race start on 3 December, the three-year-old has risen 44 points in the handicap ratings with four wins and two seconds from six starts. KA YING RISING is 8lb out of the handicap but he is an emerging talent and can run well.
MUGEN had his first run in group company when third to INVINCIBLE SAGE in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. That was at level weights and MUGEN now comes in on the minimum weight with Harry Bentley riding. MUGEN has drawn well and is a place chance.
SIGHT SUCCESS returns after running fifth in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in March when he closed well at the end of the race. FLYING ACE and HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE drop in weight after finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.
STOLTZ won the National Day Cup on 1 October before being injured. He resumes today after a long break at Conghua where he has won two recent trials. His return to racing adds further interest to this intriguing contest.
The G1 Prix du Jockey Club (2100m) will be run at Chantilly on Sunday and is carded as S4-1 at 10.05pm.
The speed will be good to moderate with FAST TRACKER and SUNWAY the likely leaders. ARROW EAGLE and SOSIE should settle in the leading group, with RAMADAN and GHOSTWRITER in the forward division.
Andre Fabre has won the race five times and Jean-Claude Rouget has won five of the last eight renewals. Both have multiple runners in tonight’s field.
Andre’s best chance appears to be ALCANTOR, who made significant improvement in his second run of the year when finished third in the French 2000 Guineas behind METROPOLITAN and DANCING GEMINI. Mickael Barzalona rides ALCANTOR and he is a place chance.
SOSIE resumed with an impressive win at Longchamp on 25 April. Maxime Guyon seemed to have something in hand then against lesser opposition and SOSIE has claims at good odds.
Jean-Claude’s leading hope is GRECIAN STORM who won over 2000m at St Cloud before running on for third in a G3 race over 1800m at Chantilly 11 May behind DARLINGHURST. His rider Ioritz Mendizabal has won the race three times previously.
FAST TRACKER has now won his past three starts for trainer Henri-Alex Pantall and was strong at the finish when beating DOLLAR INDEX at Chantilly over 2000m on 2 May in Listed company. James Doyle rides for the first time and FAST TRACKER is a win and place chance.
Aidan O’Brien is represented by DIEGO VELAZQUEZ, who was a close fourth to METROPOLITAN in the French Guineas when he stayed on well. Ryan Moore goes back aboard and he is a place chance.
GHOSTWRITER is a British challenger who won the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newbury and then was slowly way and race keenly when fourth in the 2000 Guineas. GHOSTWRITER has drawn well in gate two and is a win and place chance for Richard Kingscote.
In closing, I would like to acknowledge RUSSIAN EMPEROR’s retirement. A dual Hong Kong champion stayer and multiple Group 1 winner, RUSSIAN EMPEROR was a fantastic performer for owner Mike Cheung and trainer Douglas Whyte.
Douglas’ admiration for RUSSIAN EMPEROR has been apparent throughout the gelding’s career, which was highlighted by two Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) triumphs, victory over GOLDEN SIXTY in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) and a win in the QAT G1 H.H. Amir Trophy (2400m) in Qatar.
I congratulate Douglas for his handling of RUSSIAN EMPEROR, who had soundness challenges but still reached a Hong Kong rating of 123 and amassed more than HK$48 million in prizemoney and was the benchmark for our stayers for two seasons.
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