Latest news with #GroupOneSaudiCup
South China Morning Post
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Romantic Warrior tired but healthy as he awaits Hong Kong return
Romantic Warrior, jockey James McDonald and trainer Danny Shum after being denied in the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m). Photos: Kenneth Chan Romantic Warrior has pulled up well from his shock defeat in Saturday night's Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) at Meydan, with the Danny Shum Chap-shing stable looking forward to getting their hero home for a well-earned rest. A hot favourite to add a Hong Kong record 11th Group One success to his glittering CV, Romantic Warrior had the measure of Japan's Soul Rush everywhere but the finish line in an epic contest decided by the tightest of photo finishes. 'The horse has pulled up fine. He is healthy. He will come back to Hong Kong and have a rest. It's been a long trip for him and we think he is a bit tired,' said Ben So Tik-hung, assistant trainer to Shum. After completing quarantine in Dubai, Romantic Warrior will return to Hong Kong later this month to recover from his arduous campaign in the Middle East. His next race is likely to come in November's Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m). While the world's highest-earning racehorse will have to wait for his 11th Group One success, his exploits in the Middle East have done more for his reputation than anything he could have achieved at home in the past few months. A sparkling winner of the Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m) at Meydan in January, Romantic Warrior had to settle for second to Forever Young in a Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m) battle that seemed to prove telling for both gallopers come Dubai World Cup night. Feted by Hong Kong fans, Romantic Warrior has an ever-growing profile abroad and jockey Cristian Demuro spoke glowingly of Shum's charge after getting his measure aboard Soul Rush. 'It's as good a performance as he's ever produced, he beat the best horse in the world today,' said Demuro. 'It is a special win because we are now part of the Romantic Warrior story. He doesn't lose many races, but today he found a good horse.' Now boasting a record of 18 wins and five seconds from 25 starts, Romantic Warrior's second in the US$5 million (HK$39 million) Dubai Turf pushed his career earnings to HK$214,709,697. Romantic Warrior's next big target will be securing a record-extending fourth consecutive victory in December's Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m), while there has already been chat that Shum and owner Peter Lau Pak-fai could give their champion another chance to master the Riyadh dirt in next year's Saudi Cup.
South China Morning Post
02-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Romantic Warrior ready to hit Dubai Turf ‘all guns blazing' after drawing gate nine
James McDonald confident the Hong Kong superstar is ready to produce another top performance at Meydan this Saturday James McDonald is confident Romantic Warrior is ready to produce another top performance in Saturday's Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) six weeks after his Herculean second in the Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m) on dirt. The 10-time Group One winner, who returns to the Meydan course and distance of his track-record blitz in January's Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m), continues to thrive after more than three months in the Middle East. 'It seems like he's taken no side effects from Saudi, he's bounced out of it well – all guns blazing, really,' said New Zealander McDonald, who is missing two Group One meetings in Sydney to ride in Dubai. 'I don't think he's taken a backward step from Saudi so hopefully he runs well. 'He seems to love it here in Dubai – how can you not? It's a great place. He seems to be very happy, healthy and he's working well.' After taking a sit from gate one in the Jebel Hatta, trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing is confident Romantic Warrior again has options this weekend after landing gate nine at Wednesday morning's barrier draw at Meydan. 'Gate nine is not a problem. He's flexible. If he gets a fast pace, [McDonald] can give him a chance to settle. If the race is slow, he can sit close,' said Shum, adding that he was thrilled with his superstar's final piece of fast work on the Meydan turf on Tuesday morning. 'He's very fit at the moment so I talked with James McDonald and asked him to give him a happy, easy, smooth gallop on the turf and let him enjoy the work. Roll on the Dubai Turf! 💙 Romantic Warrior glides through his grass gallop with @mcacajamez ahead of Saturday's G1 in Dubai... 👏 📍 Meydan, 5 Apr | @RacingDubai — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 1, 2025 'James gave me a very positive report. He said the horse is very fit. He loves the horse. The horse loves it here and he is very happy here.' Romantic Warrior will have plenty of time to find a position down the long back straight in a race featuring reigning Dubai Turf champion Facteur Cheval, Godolphin's Nations Pride and a pair of Japanese gallopers who finished runner-up at December's Hong Kong International Races – Liberty Island and Soul Rush. 'This race is a stronger race than what he competed in in January here but he's very good,' said McDonald, who will also ride Howdeepisyourlove and Sword Point for Hong Kong on Saturday night. 'He's a horse that thrives on high pressure and obviously the tougher the races, the better he goes, as we've found out over the years. 'He'll be up for the challenge again. Obviously, it's a very competitive race with some very strong contenders and he'll have to be at his brilliant best. 'I think if he runs up to the Jebel Hatta run, he'll be very hard to beat.' Romantic Warrior is the red-hot Dubai Turf favourite in fixed-odds markets and Howdeepisyourlove is also proving popular in betting for the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) down the Meydan straight. Considered around a $3 chance, Howdeepisyourlove will look to land a second consecutive Al Quoz Sprint victory for Hong Kong after the success of California Spangle 12 months ago. 'It seems OK, he should be able to get a clear run from there,' said trainer John Size after Howdeepisyourlove joined Romantic Warrior in drawing gate nine. 'The horse gets back in the field a little bit and hopefully he's a late finisher and that should probably suit him. 'The horse is in pretty good shape and he's travelled well. He looks good and he's done his work properly. 'He continues to do well, so I think the race is coming up at the right time and it's a matter of circumstances on the day for these sort of events.' Hong Kong's final runner on Dubai World Cup night, the Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained Sword Point, will jump from gate two in the Group Two Godolphin Mile on the dirt.
South China Morning Post
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Slight change to Romantic Warrior's travel plans no concern ahead of Saudi Cup
Ten-time Group One winner flies to Riyadh three days later than originally scheduled in preparation for world's richest race by Jay Rooney on Thursday, February 6, 2025 1:36 PM Romantic Warrior wins the Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m) at Meydan on January 24. Photos: Alex Evers/HKJC A later arrival to Saudi Arabia than first planned won't hinder Danny Shum Chap-shing's plans for Romantic Warrior as the Hong Kong superstar prepares for his assault on the world's richest race. Shum had booked Romantic Warrior on a flight from Dubai on Friday, but the 10-time Group One winner will now make the short trip to Riyadh on Monday ahead of his next target, the US$20 million Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m) on February 22. 'He'll travel on the 10th, it was the only flight I could choose,' Shum said. 'He'll still be OK. I leave on the 8th to head across. The horse is going well.' Romantic Warrior added Group One glory in the United Arab Emirates to his glittering global CV with a record-breaking triumph in the Jebel Hatta (1,800m) at Meydan on January 24. However, the winner of a world record HK$179.66 million in prize money faces a new challenge when he races on the dirt for the first time in the Saudi Cup. Shum will consider applying a special pair of 'grip shoes', which are banned in Hong Kong, to help his stable star's transition to the dirt. 'I'll see how [Romantic Warrior's travelling companion] Romantic Charm goes in them in the morning on the 12th or 13th [of February] and then decide,' Shum said. 'I was not allowed to do it here in Hong Kong so I have to try them on Romantic Charm, I have got no option. Even in a 400m jumpout without any other horses, [the Jockey Club] said no.' Last year's Group One Dubai World Cup (2,000m) winner Laurel River, who was recently crowned the world's joint-best horse, French star Facteur Cheval and Japan's Forever Young will be among Romantic Warrior's rivals in the Saudi Cup. He will then finish his Middle Eastern campaign in either the Dubai World Cup or Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) in April. Before turning his focus to Romantic Warrior, Shum will bid to extend his lead in the trainers' championship with five runners at Sha Tin on Sunday. — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 26, 2025 The headline act is Gorgeous Win, who chases back-to-back victories when he contests the feature of the day, the Class One TVB Cup (1,200m). The consistent galloper broke through for his second success this term when he stormed home under Zac Purton to claim the Class Two Para Equestrian Handicap (1,200m) last start. In his first test at Class One level, Gorgeous Win clashes with Group Three winner Taj Dragon, the in-form Raging Blizzard, Copartner Prance, Group One placegetter Lucky With You, Magic Control, Son Pak Fu and Harmony N Blessed. 'It looks a hard race and it's hard to tell how he will go,' Shum said. 'But he's maintained his form.' With Purton set to ride Francis Lui Kin-wai's Copartner Prance, Vincent Ho Chak-yiu hops aboard Gorgeous Win for the first time. The son of Press Statement jumps from barrier two and drops six pounds on his last-start triumph to carry 123 on Sunday. Blazing Wind is another last-start winner for Shum bidding for consecutive wins, with the Deep Field gelding rising to Class Three level for the first time in Sunday's TVB Heroes In White Handicap (1,200m). Blazing Wind broke through for his first win at start eight when narrowly scoring under James McDonald at Sha Tin on January 19. He takes on stronger opposition headlined by Chris So Wai-yin's Hong Lok Golf, who is unbeaten from two starts, and Triumphant More, a winner at two of three starts for Frankie Lor Fu-chuen. Mr Justice, Allcash and Mr Vigor are the other Sha Tin starters for Shum, who leads the race for the trainers' title on 29 wins this season.
