Even in defeat – with a desperately close second in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) – ROMANTIC WARRIOR has once again proven what a champion he is while showcasing Hong Kong’s world-class racing on the international stage and confirming his status as one of the world’s premier middle-distance horses.
Hong Kong’s global champion almost defied convention and adversity by coming within a nose of becoming the first Hong Kong horse to win 11 Group 1s, but the demands of a long overseas campaign clashing with the world’s elite horses eventually took its toll.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR’s ability to come so close to victory last night underlines the amazing horsemanship of Danny and his dedicated stable team. Speaking to James McDonald immediately after the race, he felt ROMANTIC WARRIOR was tired and it was a heroic performance.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR has shown what a champion he is, always giving his best and James said ROMANTIC WARRIOR fought back when he saw SOUL RUSH coming with his last stride and lost by only a nose.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR has been based in the Middle East since December and the challenge of travelling and caring for horses away from home can never be under-estimated. I applaud owner Mr Peter Lau, Danny and James for their ambition and the credit they have brought to Hong Kong and I am sure Danny’s former mentor Ivan Allan would have been extremely proud of Danny’s accomplishments.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR’s effort to run second in a gruelling Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) against the world’s best dirt horse FOREVER YOUNG last month was incredible and, similarly, his feat in leading home five of the Group 1 opponents he faced last night in the Dubai Turf was equally impressive.
It is remarkable to think that since October 2023, when ROMANTIC WARRIOR became the first Hong Kong horse to win the G1 W. S. Cox Plate (2040m) – the most prized of Australia’s weight-for-age races – he has been beaten only twice in nine subsequent starts, both times narrowly, while winning Group 1 races in Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE was travelling extremely well in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) but then clipped the hind leg of MARBAAN, resulting in HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE becoming unbalanced and unfortunately sustaining a fetlock injury. After he was thoroughly examined in the first-class Dubai Equine Clinic, he could not be saved. I feel for his owners and trainer John Size.
SWORD POINT faced from the outset a very challenging undertaking especially because the dirt track in Dubai is a deep sand track completely opposite to the All Weather Track in Sha Tin. Sword Point was never comfortable at any stage of the G2 Godolphin Mile (1600m, dirt) and finished more than 46 lengths behind RAGING TORRENT and clearly struggled on the surface after being only moderately away.
Our simulcast coverage continues on Sunday (6 April) at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan where the G1 Osaka Hai is carded as S3-1 and is run over 2000m at 2.40pm.
The pace will be good with DESIERTO likely to lead from BELLAGIO OPERA. HO O BISCUITS also has good gate speed and will be prominent along with ECORO WALZ.
BELLAGIO OPERA (Kazuo Yokohama) won this race this last year and has run three times since, finishing third in the Takarazuka Kinen, sixth in the Tenno Sho Autumn and fourth in the Arima Kinen on 22 December. He resumes and is a win and place chance from barrier five.
SIXPENCE (Takeshi Yokoyama) has won three times at G2 level and last start beat ECORO WALZ and SOUL RUSH in the Nakayama Kinen (1800m) on 2 March when resuming. SIXPENCE has lost only once when unplaced in the Japanese Derby last May and he is also a win and place chance.
JUSTIN PALACE (Katsuma Sameshima) was fifth in the Arima Kinen finishing just behind BELLAGIO OPERA and is a place chance.
STELLENBOSCH (Joao Moreira) has drawn awkwardly in gate 12 but she was very good when third in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase last start behind GIAVELLOTTO and DUBAI HONOUR. She is also a place chance.
HO O BISCUITS (Yasunari Iwata) and DESIERTO (Kenichi Ikezoe) both ran well in the Kinko Sho behind QUEEN’S WALK at Chukyo last start and are also worth considering.
At Sha Tin on Sunday (6 April), the Class 2 Faculty of Education Alumni Handicap is carded as Race 7 and will be run over 1600m at 4.10pm with prizemoney of HK$3,120,000.
The pace will be good to slow and will be set by VOYAGE SAMURAI (Derek Leung) who will go forward from gate six. WINNING DRAGON (Brenton Avdulla) and WOODFIRE BRO (Keith Yeung) should also be prominent.
HELENE FEELING (Harry Bentley) went back from a wide draw last start and made good ground in the straight to finish third to BUNDLE AWARD and MARKWIN. HELENE FEELING concedes weight to all his rivals again here but he should be closer to the front in the small field and he is a win and place chance.
VOYAGE SAMURAI runs from the front and at last start made all before being headed by SUNLIGHT POWER, who sprinted away to record an easy victory over this course and distance on 15 March. This looks an easier race for VOYAGE SAMURAI and he is a place chance.
WINNING DRAGON ran a fantastic race to be fourth to VOYAGE BUBBLE in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on 23 February and then settled on the speed and stayed on fairly over 1800m when sixth to BUNDLE AWARD on 9 March. WINNING DRAGON is better suited over further but is in good form and is a place chance.
C P BRAVE (Karis Teetan) made late ground to finish third to MOMENTS IN TIME at Happy Valley over 1650m and then was always well back from an awkward draw when disappointing behind BUNDLE AWARD. C P BRAVE has been to Conghua since and is a capable of much better and is also a place chance.
Of the other runners, SNOWFIELD (Matthew Poon) is a dual G1 winner in Brazil and he can improve on his debut effort in Hong Kong when sixth to PACKING HERMOD over 1400m on 23 March.
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