Romantic Warrior claims top gong

HONG KONG - Romantic Warrior’s outstanding performance during the 2023/24 racing season saw the globe-trotting Hong Kong hero earn the Horse of the Year title at a special presentation at Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong on July 12.

A graduate of the 2021 Hong Kong International Sale, Romantic Warrior is currently ranked joint-sixth in the latest Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings with an international rating of 121.

He has earned HK$151.92 million (S$26 million) after 15 wins from 20 starts.

The Danny Shum-trained Acclamation gelding, who was purchased for HK$4.8 million, started the season with a gallant fourth in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2,000m) at Flemington, Australia.

The six-year-old’s all-conquering campaign then began with a historic success in the Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2,040m) at Moonee Valley.

After returning to Hong Kong, he added three more Group 1 wins to his tally – namely the Longines Hong Kong Cup (2,000m), Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000m) and FWD QEII Cup (2,000m).

He closed the season by taking top honours in the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) at Tokyo.

As such, his five Group 1 wins are a record in a single season by a Hong Kong horse.

He also created history by becoming Hong Kong’s first victor of the W.S. Cox Plate, Australasia’s greatest weight-for-age race, and became the first horse to achieve three consecutive triumphs in the FWD QEII Cup.

Meanwhile, Romantic Warrior also secured a third straight title as Champion Middle-Distance Horse following his clean sweep of all three Group 1 races over 2,000m in Hong Kong. He was also named Most Popular Horse.

The Francis Lui-trained evergreen Golden Sixty secured a fourth straight Champion Miler title with his outstanding winning performance in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1,600m) in December 2023.

The three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year returned first-up after a 224-day break between runs, and also overcame the widest of 14 barriers, to win his third Longines Hong Kong Mile.

The victory was the Medaglia d’Oro gelding’s 26th at his 30th start, enhancing his Group 1 tally to 10 – a Hong Kong record.

He further extended his world-record earnings to over HK$167 million after finishing a creditable fourth in the Group 1 FWD Champions Mile (1,600m).

The Tony Cruz-trained California Spangle was named Champion Sprinter.

The Starspangledbanner gelding claimed the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) before winning Dubai’s Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) at Meydan.

Also trained by Cruz, Five G Patch was crowned Champion Stayer. The Camelot gelding finished in the money in all three major 2,400m events – sixth in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, second in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap and second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup.

The Pierre Ng-trained Galaxy Patch was named Champion Four-Year-Old. The emerging youngster finished in the money in all 12 starts this season with six wins, three seconds and three fifths.

The son of Wandjina won the Group 3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (1,600m) and Group 3 Premier Plate Handicap (1,800m), as well as finished second in the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) and BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m).

Currently rated 119 locally, Galaxy Patch is the highest-rated four-year-old in Hong Kong.

The David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising finished his rookie season with five wins and two seconds from just seven starts to be acclaimed Champion Griffin.

The three-year-old by Shamexpress soared 59 points to 111 after starting the campaign rated 52. He is also the Most Improved Horse.

The gelding capped his season with victory in the Group 3 Sha Tin Vase handicap (1,200m).

This season saw champion jockey Zac Purton seal a seventh championship with 130 wins.

Lui was crowned champion trainer for the first time, Vincent Ho claimed the Popular Jockey prize and Angus Chung won the Tony Cruz Award as the leading home-grown jockey. HKJC