After Lucky Sweynesse won the Sprint and Golden Sixty claimed a third win in the Mile, it was the turn of the Cox Plate hero Romantic Warrior (IRE) to defend his title in the Group 1 The Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and send the packed-out crowd home happy.
Under a picture-perfect James McDonald ride, the son of Acclamation was all out to defy the rallying Luxembourg (IRE) (Camelot) by a short-head with Hishi Iguazu (JPN) (Heart’s Cry) the same distance back in third.
With his fifth Group 1 success, the Danny Shum-trained gelding advances his record to 12 wins and three seconds from 19 starts with earnings of HK$104,525,400 and A$3,083,750,
“I’m so proud of this horse – he is one of the toughest horses that I’ve ridden,” James McDonald said.
“He is so easy to ride and has the heart of a lion and to come back from Australia, this is his best win by a mile.”
The 6-year-old gelding was purchased by Mick Kinane on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 300,000gns at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Bred in Ireland by Tim Rooney and David Egan of Corduff Stud, Romantic Warrior was sold at the Hong Kong International Sale to Peter Lau for HK$4.8 million ($814,000).
He is the third foal of the Street Cry (IR) mare Folk Melody, which was an €82,000 purchase for Blandford Bloodstock from the Godolphin draft at the 2016 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale.
