International competition is the pinnacle of horse racing and the difficulty of achieving success can never be under-estimated.
As a three-time Group 1 winner in Hong Kong, Romantic Warrior is among the elite 2000m horses on the global stage but, even with his proven prowess, he will need to create history if he is to win the G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday (28 October).
From a total of 49 starts by Hong Kong horses in Australia, only Cape Of Good Hope – in the G1 Australia Stakes (1200m) in 2005 – has been able to win in Australia and this statistic alone bears testimony to the challenges involved in succeeding overseas.
While I am confident Romantic Warrior has improved off his fourth in the G1 Turnbull Stakes, the W. S. Cox Plate is always an extremely competitive race and the field assembled for this year’s “weight-for-age championship of Australasia” is certainly full of quality runners.
Encouragingly, Danny Shum, his stable staff and jockey James McDonald are pleased with the progress Romantic Warrior has made since his first-up run in the Turnbull Stakes and barrier seven is the most successful gate in the race’s history.
The W.S. Cox Plate is the highlight of our World Pool meeting on Saturday and I wish Danny, James and owner Mr Peter Lau the very best of luck as they attempt to deliver Hong Kong’s first winner of the race.
I will travel to Melbourne on Friday night and return to Hong Kong in time for Sunday’s (29 October) meeting at Happy Valley and I hope Romantic Warrior runs to his best after what has been a challenging preparation.
On Saturday, the first of the two Group 1 features at Moonee Valley is the Manikato Stakes which is carded as S1-7 and is run over 1200m at 1.20pm.
The early speed will be good with I AM WAR on pace from his rails draw with JIGSAW and I AM ME in the leading division.
Damian Lane will have options from gate two with UNCOMMON JAMES. If he jumps well, Damian may want to contest the lead or alternatively sit on the speed. He ran well first up behind IMPERATRIZ in the G1 Moir Stakes and then tried to pressure Asfoora from a long way out and came off second best behind that mare in the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield two weeks ago. UNCOMMON JAMES is a place chance.
I AM ME is trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and holds an entry for LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint in December. I AM ME won the G2 Missile Stakes in August and then came off a five-week break to take the Sydney Stakes, beating Airman and Bella Nipotina. James McDonald rides and I AM ME is a place chance.
Champion New Zealand mare IMPERATRIZ has been in breathtaking form settling at the back and storming home down the short Moonee Valley home straight to win the G2 McEwen Stakes (1000m), establishing a new track record and then breaking that record to win the G1 Moir Stakes at her last start. IMPERATRIZ to be ridden by Opie Bosson is chasing her sixth Group One win and is my win selection.
Of the other runners BUENOS NOCHES ran well in the Everest and JIGSAW and THE INFERNO are talented sprinters.
The W.S. Cox Plate is carded as S1-8 and is run over 2040m at 2.10pm and is Australia’s premier weight-for-age race. ROMANTIC WARRIOR will try to add an international victory to his imposing record. Seven of his 11 rivals hold entries for the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on 10 December, so this is a key race leading to our major race day.
The speed will only be moderate with ZAAKI going forward from his outside gate and ALLIGATOR BLOOD settling in the first two from gate five.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR has drawn gate seven and James McDonald should have him in the first half of the field, one-off the fence. ROMANTIC WARRIOR was presented to win in the straight in the Turnbull Stakes at his Australian debut three weeks ago. He failed to finish off and ran fourth to GOLD TRIP. The form in that race looks strong with the two of the three horses that finished ahead of him placing in the Caulfield Cup last week.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR handled The Valley circuit well in his two gallops there and will make significant improvement in his fitness. Despite all the challenges Danny Shum and the team have faced in getting to the race, ROMANTIC WARRIOR is a top-three chance.
MR BRIGHTSIDE dominated the Melbourne WFA races this campaign before finding FAN GIRL to brilliant in the King Charles III Stakes at Randwick over 1600m two weeks ago. MR BRIGHTSIDE should get a good run from his inside gate and is a place chance. FANGIRL was outstanding in winning that race. FANGIRL was a G1 victor against three-year-old fillies at her only run beyond 1600m and is a place chance for Chris Waller.
There are many other chances in this year’s Cox Plate including ALLIGATOR BLOOD, who will get a good run on the speed and has claims and three-year-old MILITARIZE will improve sharply off his run in the Caulfield Guineas where he got back in the field in a race where backmarkers made no impression in the straight. If there happens to be a strong tempo throughout, look for Gold Trip storming home late and Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old VICTORIA ROAD can finish in the top six.
I am saddened at the passing of Mr Howard Liang this week. Howard was a fantastic supporter of Hong Kong racing and true horse racing enthusiast. His famous red and yellow colours have been carried with distinction by many horses over the years, few better than CALIFORNIA MEMORY and CALIFORNIA SPANGLE, who both achieved Group 1 success.
Howard will be greatly missed and I express my deepest condolences to his family.
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