ROMANTIC WARRIOR’s appearance in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan on Saturday night (April 5) highlights a wonderful weekend of international racing with elite Group 1 races attracting global focus and Hong Kong’s champion horses, trainers and jockeys vying for success at the highest level.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR will chase more history at Meydan under James McDonald when he attempts to become the first Hong Kong horse to win 11 Group 1 races and end the tie he currently shares with the great GOLDEN SIXTY.
If successful, Danny Shum’s global champion would also become the first Hong Kong horse to win the Dubai Turf, adding another incredible accomplishment to a phenomenal record in overseas jurisdictions which already includes victories in the G1 W. S. Cox Plate (2040m) in Australia, G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in Japan and G1 Jebel Hatta (1800m) in the United Arab Emirates for owner Peter Lau.
HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE will bid to win the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) for John Size and provide Hong Kong with successive victories in the race after CALIFORNIA SPANGLE’s record-breaking win in the race last season for Tony Cruz and Brenton Avdulla.
SWORD POINT will chase success in the G2 Godolphin Mile (1600m, dirt) for Frankie Lor as Dubai showcases a string of global superstars at its premier meeting, including FOREVER YOUNG, ROMANTIC WARRIOR and REBEL’S ROMANCE among many others.
With James partnering all three of Hong Kong’s Dubai World Cup meeting entrants, Hong Kong’s influence at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney is strong with the presence of Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Andrea Atzeni.
The first Doncaster Mile Day feature is the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), which is carded as S1-3 and will be run at 12.20pm.
Hugh Bowman rides RIVELLINO, who won the G2 Skyline Stakes on 1 March and ran fourth in the Golden Slipper (1200m) on 25 March behind MARHOONA and WODETON. RIVELLINO should handle the extra distance and is a win and place chance.
WODETON finished second in the Golden Slipper behind MARHOONA when ridden by James McDonald. With James riding in Dubai tonight, Coolmore has engaged Ryan Moore to ride WODETON here and he is also a win and place chance.
VINROCK (Mark Zahra) is a place chance along with STATE VISIT (Jason Collett), while Zac Purton rides BUFFALO, an impressive maiden winner at Newcastle who is well drawn in gate four as a place chance.
The G1 T.J. Smith Stakes is carded as carded as S1-4 and run over 1200m at 12.55pm.
JOLIESTAR (Damian Lane) impressed winning the G1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on 8 March when beating HEADWALL and STRETAN ANGEL. She meets HEADWALL significantly better at the weights and is a win and place chance.
SUNSHINE IN PARIS (Chad Schofield) and MAGIC TIME (Jordan Childs) both ran well in the G1 Canterbury Stakes, finishing fourth and third, respectively, and have place claim along with OVERPASS (Joshua Parr), JIMMYSSTAR (Ethan Brown), SWITZERLAND (Ryan Moore) and TRAFFIC WARDEN (Blake Shinn).
The G1 Doncaster Mile is carded as S1-5 and run over 1600m at 1.35pm. The pace should be good with a maximum field of 20 runners.
GRINGOTTS (Tommy Berry) has won 10 of 20 starts and finished powerfully to win the George Ryder Stakes (1500m), beating FANGIRL and CEOLWULF. He has drawn gate six, is well weighted and he is my win and place selection.
ROYAL PATRONAGE (Tim Clark) has drawn wide and will go forward. He won the G1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) two runs ago and then finished fourth to GRINGOTTS in the G1 George Ryder Stakes. ROYAL PATRONAGE is a place chance.
TOM KITTEN (Ben Melham) beat MR BRIGHTSIDE and LIGHT INFANTRY MAN in the G1 All-Star Mile before running fifth to GRINGOTTS in the George Ryder Stakes and is a place chance.
Japan’s GEOGLYPH (Damian Lane) hasn’t won a race for almost three years but has performed well at top level since, including a fifth in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile two starts ago. He is a place chance despite his wide draw. IOWNA MERC (Ashley Morgan) and LINEBACKER (Zac Lloyd) are also chances.
Andrea Atzeni rides AL MUBHIR for William Haggas and Zac Purton rides MOIRA, who won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Fillies and Mares Turf (2200m).
The G1 Australian Derby is carded as S1-6 and will be run over 2400m at 2.15pm. The pace will be good.
WILLYDOIT (Michael Lee) has won four of six starts and proved too good in the G1 NZ Derby for THEDOCTOROFLOVE and GOLDEN CENTURY at Ellerslie on 8 March. He is a win and place chance.
Jamie Melham combined with GOLDRUSH GURU to win the G1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in November before he was unsuited by leading last start in the Rosehill Guineas. GOLDRUSH GURU is also a win and place chance.
THEDOCTOROFLOVE (Daniel Moor) was a gallant second in the NZ Derby. It will be a challenge for him to turn the tables on WILLYDOIT but he is a place chance along with SHANWAH (Blake Shinn) and RED ACES (Hugh Bowman).
Following the Sydney meeting our attention turns to Dubai for the Dubai World Cup meeting. The G2 Godolphin Mile is run on dirt over 1600m and is carded as S2-1 at 9.45pm.
RAGING TORRENT (Frankie Dettori) won his first G1 victory at Santa Anita in the Malibu Stakes (1400m) on 26 December and he is a win and place chance for Yulong Investments.
NO LUNCH (Maxime Guyon) is unbeaten in three runs this year, most recently beating top miler TRIBALIST at Chantilly. He is also a win and place chance.
SWORD POINT (James McDonald) is by champion American dirt horse AMERICAN PHAROAH and is unbeaten in two runs on the Sha Tin All Weather over 1650m. This represents a significant rise in class but SWORD POINT has been training really well since arriving in Dubai and he will be ridden positively from gate two. A top-three finish for SWORD POINT would be an excellent result for Frankie Lor and his owners.
MUFASA (Tadhg O’Shea) is also a place chance.
The G1 Al Quoz Sprint is run over the straight 1200m turf course and is carded as S2-2 at 10.20pm.
The pace will be good and HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE (James McDonald) generally sits off the speed and runs home strongly. HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE was too strong in the G3 Bauhinia Sprint over the straight 1000m three runs back and has since finished third to KA YING RISING and HELIOS EXPRESS over 1200m and 1400m at G1 level. HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE is ideally drawn in gate nine and he is a win and place chance.
DANON MCKINLEY (Cristian Demuro) is entered for the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize on FWD Champions Day and ran well at his only run this year when fourth to KANGCHENJUNGA in the G2 Hankyu Hai (1400m) at Kyoto on 22 February. DANON MCKINLEY has a middle draw and will also be strong as a place chance.
AUDIENCE (Robert Halvin) is the highest-rated horse in the race and is a good straight course horse, but prefers slightly further than the 1200m, winning the G1 Lockinge Stakes (1600m) at Newbury and the G2 Lennox Stakes (1400m) at Goodwood last year.
REGIONAL (Callum Rodriguez) is also a good straight course performer, having won the 2023 G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock. He is a place chance.
The G1 Dubai Turf is carded as S2-5 and is run over 1800m at 12.15am.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR continues to work well and gives every indication he will win the Dubai Turf and in doing so earn a US$500,000 bonus, having won the G1 Jebel Hatta (1800m) in January, but the challenge of recovering from a torrid run in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) should not be under-estimated.
ROMANTIC Warrior meets a world-class field including last year’s winner FACTEUR CHEVAL (Maxime Guyon) who also returns to the turf after being unplaced in the Saudi Cup.
Champion Japanese mare LIBERTY ISLAND (Yuga Kawada) was second to ROMANTIC WARRIOR in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup in December last start. She is entered for the G1 FWD QE II Cup on 27 April and is a place chance.
SOUL RUSH (Cristian Demuro) ran second to VOYAGE BUBBLE in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and was third to SIXPENCE in a G2 race at Nakayama on 2 March. SOUL RUSH is also a place chance along with NATIONS PRIDE (William Buick) and GHOSTWRITER (Rossa Ryan).
Japan’s BREDE WEG (Christophe Lemaire) could be a surprise.
The G1 Sheema Classic carded as S2-6 and is run over 2410m at 12.50am.
REBEL’S ROMANCE (William Buick) won this race last year beating SHARYAR and LIBERTY ISAND before winning the G1 Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin. REBEL’S ROMANCE took the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar in November and resumed in the G3 H.H. The Amir Trophy at Qatar in February beating THE FOXES. REBEL’S ROMANCE is a win and place chance.
SHIN EMPEROR (Ryusei Sakai) ran second to DO DEUCE in the G1 Japan Cup in November and beat CALIF in the G2 Neom Turf Cup (2100m). SHIN EMPEROR is also a win and place chance.
GIAVELLOTO (Oisin Murphy) impressed winning the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase in December, beating DUBAI HONOUR. This is GIAVELLOTTO’s first run since and he is a place chance. CALANDAGAN (Mickael Barzalona) and DANON DECILE (Keita Tosaki) are also place chances.
The G1 Dubai World Cup is carded as S2-7 and will be run over 2000m on dirt at 1.30am. The pace will be good.
FOREVER YOUNG (Ryusei Sakai) was very strong at the end of the G1 Saudi Cup, beating ROMANTIC WARRIOR by a neck. He won the G2 UAE Derby last year as well as the G1 Tokyo Daishoten and is my win and place selection.
USHBA TESORO (Akira Sugawaga) was beaten 10 lengths by FOREVER YOUNG and ROMANTIC WARRIOR in the Saudi Cup but won this race in 2023 and was second last year to LAUREL RIVER. He is a place chance in what may be his final race. His stablemate WILSON TESORO (Yuga Kawada) is also a place chance.
IMPERIAL EMPEROR (Tadhg O’Shea) and RATTLE N ROLL (William Buick) are both place hopes.
Comment
