Romantic Warrior’s win in the G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley today (28 October) not only represents an amazing athletic performance by an outstanding horse, it also reflects incredible credit on Hong Kong racing, trainer Danny Shum and jockey James McDonald.
What Danny and James achieved with Romantic Warrior for owner Mr Peter Lau is absolutely wonderful, especially with the challenges the horse has overcome with feed issues and associated logistical hurdles in travelling to Australia to compete against high-class opposition.
From an international perspective, this win is especially significant because in a way due to COVID-19, Hong Kong horses had not been able to compete on the world stage until relatively recently and today’s performance shows that our horses are not only good in Hong Kong, but also good on the world stage.
The effort by everyone involved has been incredible. It was a tremendous training performance, a wonderful ride and it shows why Hong Kong is globally recognised as one of the leading racing jurisdictions.
It is well documented that Danny and James thought Romantic Warrior was not 100 percent in terms of fitness heading into the W.S. Cox Plate. In fact, James told me before the race Romantic Warrior was maybe one gallop short but the horse’s class was sufficient to allow him to post one of Hong Kong racing’s most significant wins overseas.
The skills of Danny and his team in delivering a remarkable training performance is another example that our strategy to foster Hong Kong talent by partnering emerging horsemen with world-class trainers like Ivan Allan to develop local talent is working very well.
Furthermore, these events when top horses from different jurisdictions come together to showcase their potential is the ideal basis for the success of World Pool races. The W.S. Cox Plate delivered turnover of HK$68 million, the third-highest in World Pool history.
Our simulcast programme continues at Tokyo, Japan today with the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn, which is carded as S2-1 and will be run over 2000m at 2pm.
The speed in this race will be good throughout, which will suit EQUINOX, currently the highest-rated horse in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings on 129. EQUINOX destroyed a class field in the Sheema Classic in Dubai in March, beating Westover and Mostahdaf. At his only other run for the year, he toyed with his rivals when winning the Takarazuka Kinen from Through Seven Seas and Justin Palace in June. EQUINOX will be ridden by Christophe Lemaire and is my win selection.
Nine of his 10 rivals are entered for LONGINES Hong Kong International Races in December.
PROGNOSIS was runner-up to Romantic Warrior in the FWD QEII Cup in Hong Kong in April and at his only run since won the G2 Sapporo Kinen over this distance on 20 August by four lengths, beating a number of his rivals here. PROGNOSIS is a place chance for Yuga Kawada.
JUSTIN PALACE won the Tenno Sho Spring in April over 3200m and then ran well when third to EQUINOX in the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200m in June and is a place chance.
DO DEUCE beat EQUINOX in last year’s Japanese Derby and at his only run since being unplaced in last year’s Prix l’Arc de Triomphe and is coming off a break since winning a Group Two race over 2200m at Kyoto back in February by a big margin.
The Tenno Sho has drawn a very strong field with horses like JACK D’OR, DANON BELUGA and HISHI IGUAZU all having place claims.
At Happy Valley, the Kwangtung Handicap Cup is carded as Race 7 at 4.10pm for Class Two horses over 1000m and carries prizemoney of HK$2,840,000.
The speed in the race will be very strong with NERVOUS WITNESS the likely leader from his middle draw. WHIZZ KID should also dispute the lead from his rails draw and KURPANY will be in the leading division.
SEASONS WIT has been remarkably consistent at this course and distance, running similar times to win his last three races at the end of last season. Zac Purton takes the ride again and from gate four should settle on the speed, one off the fence. SEASONS WIT had a long break at Conghua since his last run in July and although he rises in class, he is my win and place selection.
WHIZZ KID is a four-time winner at this track and distance. His two runs this campaign down the straight course at Sha Tin have been good and from his inside gate he will be in contention for a long way and is a place chance.
KURPANY led and beat WHIZZ KID when resuming on 17 September and then again raced on the lead and held on for third to STOLTZ in the Group Three on 1 October. KURPANY will have the benefit of a five-pound claim for Alfred Chan and is a place chance.
This is an open race and REWARD SMILE is down on the limit weight with Alexis Badel aboard, He comes back in distance to 1000m and will be running home and is also a place chance.
Comment
