Romantic Warrior toughs it out in Hong Kong Cup
James McDonald labelled yesterday’s Hong Kong Cup hero Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) as the ‘toughest horse I have ever sat on’, as the Danny Shum-trained son of Acclamation (Royal Applause) backed up his last-start Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) victory with yet another gutsy success.
Jumping from barrier seven, Romantic Warrior settled in midfield behind leader Money Catcher (Ferlax) and began to take closer order coming into the final three furlongs.
Ridden for an effort by McDonald approaching the last two furlongs, the five-year-old gelding took up the lead inside the final furlong and, having looked set to score decisively, was pressed all the way to the line by the rallying Luxembourg (Camelot), eventually holding out by a short-head with the same distance further back to Hishi Iguazu (Heart’s Cry) in third.
Yesterday’s game success was Romantic Warrior’s second consecutive win in the race, having defeated Danon The Kid (Just A Way) by four and a half lengths in 2022.
It’s one of my proudest moments,” an emotional McDonald said. “It’s incredible really and hard to hit the nail on the head with it.”
“I think he’s the toughest horse I’ve ever sat on. His courage and his will to win is just something I have never felt before.
“I’ve ridden some unbelievable horses and he’s right up there. To come back from winning the Cox Plate and win here, even though it’s another small margin, he’s come through it with flying colours.”
Bred in Ireland by Tim Rooney and David Egan of Corduff Stud, Romantic Warrior was bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 300,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2019, before fetching $4,800,000 when selling to owner Peter Lau Pak Fai at the Hong Kong Jockey Club International Sale in 2021.
He is out of the winning Street Cry (Machiavellian) mare Folk Melody, herself a daughter of Canadian Grade 1 winner Folk Opera (Singspiel).
Yesterday’s victory takes Romantic Warrior’s (5 g Acclamation – Folk Melody by Street Cry) career record to 12 wins from 17 starts, with a further three placings and HK$99,636,084 (approx. AU$19.3 million) in prize-money earned.