Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Romantic Warrior is now a Triple Crown winner
Already the world’s richest racehorse heading into Sunday’s G1 Champions & Chater Cup, Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) had to work hard for victory in the 2400 metre event. But he toughed it out to win by 1.5 lengths from Numbers (NZ) (Tivaci), with Japanese raider Deep Monster (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in third. Jockey James McDonald was awarded an eight-day suspension after the race for causing interference to Deep Monster, and will miss the G1 Queensland Oaks meeting.
Having won the G1 Stewards' Cup and the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, the first two legs of the Hong Kong Triple Crown in January and March, respectively, he became the region’s third ever Triple Crown holder after Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) won all three legs last season and River Verdon (Ire) (Be My Native {USA}) was the first to achieve the feat in 1993/94.
The victory handed the Peter Lau-owned galloper another HK$10 million for the Triple Crown Bonus on top of HK$7.28 million for crossing the wire first, bringing his lifetime earnings to HK$288.7 million (AU$51.4 million).
“I'm such a lucky guy, lucky trainer – because I can train Romantic Warrior. Before the race we already set up the plan – put him to sleep, let him relax, and try to hit the front. He hit the line in the last 400 metres, so James has done a great job, he's top-class jockey,” said trainer Danny Shum.
“I'm such a lucky guy, lucky trainer – because I can train Romantic Warrior... He hit the line in the last 400 metres, so James has done a great job, he's top-class jockey.” - Danny Shum
“The plan is to give him a break. I will think about whether to send him to Conghua, same as Ka Ying Rising – Ka Ying Rising is very happy (there). So, I might send him to Conghua, give him a little break, and then see how he goes.
“We're happy because we have a very good team and stable. Peter (Lau) always makes the right decisions and James McDonald is a very good jockey.”
Danny Shum | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Now the winner of 24 of his 31 starts and 15 of those being at Group 1 level, Romantic Warrior is out of Street Cry (Ire) mare Folk Melody (Ire). She has also produced stakes-placed End Of Romance (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), and Romantic Warrior is a grandson of GI E. P. Taylor Stakes heroine Folk Opera (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}), who also claimed the G2 Prix Jean Romanet.
The stewards report stated, “J McDonald was found guilty of a charge of careless riding (Rule 100{1}) in that near the 300 metres, he directed his mount in when not clear of Deep Monster, resulting in Deep Monster being taken from its rightful running, further resulting in Deep Monster being checked to avoid Numbers near the 200 metres, causing Deep Monster to shift out and make heavy contact with Romantic Warrior.
“J McDonald was suspended from riding in races for a period to commence on Wednesday, June 3 and to expire on Thursday, June 11, on which day he may resume race riding.
“In addition, Jockey McDonald was fined $120,000 (AU$21,400). In assessing penalty, the Stewards determined the carelessness grade 3 and the consequences grade 2.”
James McDonald | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Shum’s double extends his lead in Premiership
While all eyes were on Danny Shum’s Romantic Warrior, the astute trainer made it a double on the card with Packing King (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) to move two ahead of Caspar Fownes at the top of the Trainer’s Premiership. However, with 15 meetings remaining in the season, it’s still anyone’s game with six trainers all within a shot of glory.
Shum currently sits on 56 wins leading Caspar Fownes (54), Mark Newnham (52), Francis Lui (50), David Hayes (49) and John Size (46) in the race for the trainers’ title.
Earlier in the week in a discussion with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Shum credited the decision to stay home with his champion Romantic Warrior as a key reason for his rise to the top.
“Because I haven’t needed to go overseas this year, I have been able to concentrate fully on my stable and my staff are all doing a good job. Because Romantic Warrior has just raced in Hong Kong, I haven’t needed to go out of Hong Kong and I haven’t needed to send any staff out either, so the manpower in Sha Tin and also in Conghua is very good. Everything is running very efficiently.
“Of course (it would be my crowning achievement). Everyone wants to win a championship. I’m trying to operate as normally as possible – I won’t be doing anything crazy. I will just try my best and look after my horses. My horses’ and my owners’ interests are my first priority and if I win, I am happy, but if I lose, I don’t mind because I have tried my best.”
“My horses’ and my owners’ interests are my first priority and if I win, I am happy, but if I lose, I don’t mind because I have tried my best.” - Danny Shum
His closest rival, Caspar Fownes, had a winner with Monarch County (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) taking him to 54 winners with 37 of those at Happy Valley.
Treble for Purton as another milestone closes in
Champion jockey Zac Purton currently leads the Jockey’s Premiership with 120 victories with next best Hugh Bowman on 57. Purton added another treble on Sunday aboard Shum’s Packing King as well as Flying Amani (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) and Come Fast Fay Fay (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}).
“It was all right. I was hoping to ride one or two today, so three was better than expected,” Purton said. The treble took him to 1998 career wins in Hong Kong.
“It was all right. I was hoping to ride one or two today, so three was better than expected.” - Zac Purton
The double for New Zealand based sire Wrote (Ire) came in the first and second on the card with David Hall-trained Flying Amani winning the opening event.
“He’s had a few unlucky runs where he hasn’t had clear room and Zac was sort of chasing him to go to Class Five,” Hall told scmp.com.
“I was thinking about the lightweight (in Class Four), he’s not a big horse but anyway, we decided to go to Class Five with the big weight with Zac on and thankfully, got the job done. He’s been very slow out of the gates and we had to make some sort of change to try and improve that. It’s obviously very hard to win from the back all the time and it’s going to be more difficult with a big weight in Class Five, so we tried the blinkers.
Zac Purton | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“It didn’t really put him in a better position, but he certainly jumped a bit better today, even though he was still back in the field. As I said, thankfully he got the job done and he might get some confidence out of that today.”
Wrote, a son of High Chaparral (Ire), has six stakes winners, and neither of his winners on Sunday were sold at public auction.
My Mars puts his hand up for Derby
Trainer David Hayes is already looking ahead to next season’s Classic series and Hong Kong Derby with 3-year-old gelding My Mars (Ire) (Advertise {GB}) who took his record to two wins from three starts in Hong Kong. He was placed twice in five starts at two in Ireland prior to arriving in Hong Kong.
“This horse is a very good horse for next season, in his classic year, because at his age, if he was unraced he would be in PPG races,” Hayes told scmp.com.
“So, I think he’s quite a special horse to be doing what he’s doing. I know the margin wasn’t big and the time wasn’t fast, but he just gets the job done. He’s a very, very good young horse.”
David Hayes | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
His sire Advertise (GB) is a son of Showcasing (GB), who has five stakes winners from three crops of racing age, led by G2 York Gimcrack Stakes winner Cool Hand Luke (Ire).
