ROMANTIC WARRIOR’S incredible victory in the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) at Tokyo Racecourse today (Sunday, 2 June) is one of the greatest in the history of Hong Kong racing and reflects tremendous credit on our city.
If you look at the performances of ROMANTIC WARRIOR this horse this season for Danny Shum and his team, James McDonald and owner Mr Peter Lau, it is out of this world and I have never seen a horse that has this kind of will to win.
To win the Cox Plate in Australia in October, then to win two international Group 1 races back in Hong Kong – the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and the FWD QEII Cup (2000m) as well as Citi Gold Cup (2000m) – and then to win against the best Japanese milers in the Yasuda Kinen, is absolutely unbelievable.
It’s an amazing training performance from Danny and his team and one really has to give credit to the team. James is obviously the perfect fit as a jockey. James told me after the race that Romantic Warrior doesn’t want to get beaten and he has the ultimate fighting spirit. The horse’s mentality is amazing. It is fantastic.
Personally, what I think is important is that many people in Hong Kong always have the feeling that horse racing is always about gambling. It’s not – it’s about world-class sport and world-class racing.
Japanese racing fans applause Romantic Warrior as hero.
The reception today reflects the knowledge and admiration of the horse by Japanese fans and this is very unique in Japan. They recognised today a global racing champion and the cheering when ROMANTIC WARRIOR came back to the winner’s enclosure was unforgettable.
It is why it is important that we have global racing and why it is important that we have comingling to connect people around the world.
I really admire the training performance of Danny. How this horse recovers is incredible and credit to the owner Mr Peter Lau for having the courage to do it. I must admit I was sceptical, but ROMANTIC WARRIOR again showed his champion qualities under a brilliant ride from James.
Hong Kong horses have won three overseas Group 1s this season with CALIFORNIA SPANGLE’S success in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in Dubai and that is something of which the entire city can feel extremely proud about.
The atmosphere at Tokyo Racecourse today was phenomenal and it is clear Japanese racing fans adore the sport.
It was an honour to join Club chairman Mr Michael Lee at the trophy presentation for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy (2000m), which was won by GRAND CULLINAN who was brilliantly ridden by young Japanese jockey Ryusei Sakai.
Ryusei is a familiar face in Hong Kong, having ridden MAD COOL and CHAMPAGNE COLOR on FWD Champions Day in April. The runner-up BITTER GLACE was ridden by James McDonald.
Reflecting on the wonderful Derby (2405m) win of CITY OF TROY and the Queensland Derby success of WARMONGER yesterday (1 June), an outstanding weekend of G1 racing is completed tonight with the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (2100m) which is carded as S4-1 and run 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.
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