History was made at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday as Romantic Warrior, one of the finest horses to ever grace the Hong Kong turf, secured a record fourth victory in the FWD QEII Cup. The eight-year-old gelding, ridden by James McDonald, first won this Group One prize in 2022 and has now added three more triumphs, missing a potential fifth only because connections opted to target the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup last year.
A Star-Studded Field
This year's renewal of the 1m2f contest was widely regarded as one of the strongest in recent memory. The lineup included Japan Cup runner-up Masquerade Ball, Hong Kong Vase winner Sosie, and Neom Turf Cup hero Royal Champion, all taking on Hong Kong's superstar. Romantic Warrior proved too strong for the international challengers, finishing ahead of Masquerade Ball, Sosie, and Royal Champion in that order. The victory pushed his career prize money beyond the £27 million mark.
Jockey and Trainer Reactions
Jockey James McDonald, who has developed a special bond with the son of Acclamation, was effusive in his praise. "He's bulletproof!" McDonald exclaimed. "This was touted to be his toughest test. I've got to pay Danny [Shum] and his team so much admiration for how they've got this horse ready. He's a dream come true for us. I'm the lucky one to be riding him; this is what dreams are made of."
Trainer Danny Shum, who has guided Romantic Warrior to 23 wins from 30 career starts, acknowledged the unique connection between horse and jockey. "He's (McDonald) the number one jockey in the world. He loves Romantic Warrior and Romantic Warrior loves him," Shum said. "I'm thankful I have Romantic Warrior, and Romantic Warrior is also thankful for me. My team has done a lot of hard work with him. He's been in good form this season – it (2000m) is his best distance in Hong Kong. I was quite confident he could win this. I don't tell him he's eight years old; I always keep telling him he's five only – that is a joke, but he races very easily and he's very good. He's a super, super champion."
Ka Ying Rising's Record-Breaking Sprint
Romantic Warrior wasn't the only history-maker on FWD Champions Day. Ka Ying Rising, widely regarded as the world's best racehorse, made it 20 consecutive wins with a facile success in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize, breaking his own track record in the process. Jockey Zac Purton was emotional after the victory. "It was pretty painless," Purton said. "His speed was nice, he was in a good rhythm, and it was just a matter of him turning up and doing what he has all season, and he did that. It was nice to break the track record again, albeit just slightly. When I let him go he quickened, but he did take a couple of strides to balance up a little, but once he quickened, he quickened extremely well and a long way out he felt very comfortable and very confident."
Trainer David Hayes' Praise
Trainer David Hayes has long maintained that Ka Ying Rising is the best horse he has ever trained, but he now believes the five-year-old may be the best he has ever seen. "I definitely think he's the best horse I've trained but now I'm really starting to think he's one of the best I've seen," Hayes said. "I'm a massive Black Caviar fan, and I never thought you could even say it, but I think he's up there in that legendary status."
Ka Ying Rising is likely to be aimed at retaining The Everest in Australia later this year, but Hayes didn't rule out a potential trip to Royal Ascot in 2027. "We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, but we're definitely doing The Everest again – it was the experience of a lifetime," Hayes said. "Royal Ascot, for me to train a winner there would be wonderful – it's one of the great carnivals. If it's right, it's possible, because he's done it all here now and I'd just like to showcase him around the world maybe as a six or seven-year-old."
Commercial Success
Turnover on the Chairman's Sprint Prize was colossal, with nearly HK$196 million (approximately £18.5 million) staked across all pools on the race. Ka Ying Rising returned at a price of 1.05 on the UK Tote. Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges expressed delight with the success of FWD Champions Day, both from a sporting and commercial perspective. Turnover was up 18.3 percent compared to last year, while commingling turnover increased by 16.5 percent.
