Hong Kong International Sale graduate Romantic Warrior has now reached a tally of 11 Group 1s in four different jurisdictions, as the James McDonald-ridden seven-year-old ran out a convincing length and three-quarters winner over Bellagio Opera in his latest Group 1 success.

McDonald broke well and sat just behind a steady pace set largely by Joseph O’Brien’s Galen, whose rider Dylan Browne McMonagle tried  to get first run on the field as the group of seven turned into the home straight.

Romantic Warrior was travelling well within himself and with 400m remaining, he was in front and was never going to be passed despite the late challenge from Bellagio Opera, with Quisisana sneaking in late for third.

Shum very proud of Romantic Warrior

Winning trainer Danny Shum said of his multiple Group 1 winner:

“I’m very proud of Romantic Warrior and our stable team, they work really hard. It’s a big relief. He always gives me a lot of happiness, not only me but my stable, owners, my family and in Hong Kong, even racing fans or non-racing fans, they all love Romantic Warrior.

“To be honest, there was a lot of pressure. He had his surgery (when a screw was inserted in his left front leg at the end of May), but he is such a good, calm, lovely horse. He’s part of my family, I love him. My son says I love Romantic Warrior more than him!

“He’s very easy to train. He doesn’t need too much work and his body weight will tell you, his appetite will tell you how fit he is.”

It’s FOUR Hong Kong Cups for the brilliant ROMANTIC WARRIOR! @HKJC_Racing | @HongKong_Racing | #HKIR | #HKRacing pic.twitter.com/f2sEElvud7

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 14, 2025

Romantic Warrior is likely to be aimed another another clash with Forever Young, who he pushed all the way to the line in that famous Group 1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) showdown earlier this year.

“He’s so special”

The successful rider, James McDonald, summed up his admiration for Romantic Warrior by stating:

“He’s so special, he’s so special. He’s just a freak. I don’t know what to say. I just love him. I love him.”

Dylan Browne McMonagle, the rider of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Galen, who out-ran his odds of 25/1 to finish fourth, said of the four-year-old son of Gleneagles:

“He’s a very, very tough horse and he wears his heart on his sleeve. We were drawn a little bit wide and he didn’t step as well as he usually does, which meant I had to work a little bit around the first bend. But I got into a nice rhythm and he was tough the whole way to the line.”

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The New Zealand-bred gelding secured his sixth Group 1 victory to enhance his record to 17 wins and two seconds from 19 starts with prize money of HK$122.5 million.

In a powerful display after drawing barrier one for the first time in his career, the Shamexpress gelding produced one of his best victories with a masterful ride from Zac Purton, who steered the champion into the middle of the home straight in search of the best ground.

Ka Ying Rising surged away to beat Raging Blizzard by three-and-three-quarter lengths, with Fast Network third after being eased down by Purton over the closing 150 metres.

“I think we showed everyone what he can do…”@zpurton reacts to Ka Ying Rising’s performance in the Hong Kong Sprint after blowing his rivals away at Sha Tin! @HKJC_Racing | @HongKong_Racing | #HKIR | #HKRacing pic.twitter.com/HPvzjbdLjj

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 14, 2025

“In a league of his own”

Purton said Ka Ying Rising’s performance was what everyone wanted to see.

“His last run showed us that it was on the cards today,” he said. “He drew the right gate, and when the barrier came out, they said, ‘What do you think?’ And I said he would win by further.

“He is just in a league of his own now. And not having to do that extra work into the first corner from a wide gate to try and get forward, probably helped him.”

The best Hayes has trained

Declaring Ka Ying Rising the best horse he has trained, David Hayes said he was relieved the five-year-old gelding didn’t let the stable or the public’s expectations down.

“He was just superb today,” he said. “The messages he was sending the week of the race suggested he’d do something like that. We are not running fast times today but he did – (running) a lot faster than the other races.”

Hayes said there were horses in the race with Royal Ascot, Dubai and Breeders’ Cup form and they were probably the best sprinters around, and while Ka Ying Rising was making them look ordinary, he said they certainly weren’t.”

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The son of Rathbarry Stud’s Acclamation will bid to become the first horse in two decades to claim successive victories in the HK$25 million race.

Jockey Zac Purton partnered the five-year-old in this morning’s trial. Romantic Warrior jumped cleanly from stall 10 in the 1 mile grass trial before taking up a forward position and gradually building momentum before forging clear in the straight. He defeated Group 1 winner Panfield by five and a half lengths in 1m 36.16s.

Romantic Warrior, bred by Corduff Stud and TJ Rooney, was runner-up to Golden Sixty on both of his most recent starts, in the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup over a mile on January 29, and then in the Group 1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (1m 2f) on 26 February. 

Danny Shum, Romantic Warrior’s trainer, was quoted by the Honk Kong Jockey Club this morning as saying: 

“It was a good trial. The horse is good. Last start, he was a little bit tired so I gave him some time off – seven weeks off – which did him good. He recovered quickly and he is good now, fingers crossed,” Shum said.

The nine-time winner Romantic Warrior will attempt to emulate Japan’s Eishin Preston (2002 and 2003) in claiming consecutive QEII Cup triumphs.

He will be ridden by James McDonald in the FWD QEII Cup before Purton takes over in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (1m 4f) on 28 May.

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The son of Galileo claimed an impressive victory in the HK$20 million race over 2400m.

It was a third success in the race for the Ballydoyle handler who previously won with Highland Reel in both 2015 and 2017.

In a race where he always looked comfortable, Mogul defeated Hong Kong champion and five-time Group 1 winner Exultant with another local runner, Columbus County, in third.

Reaction to Mogul’s win

“He’s a horse that we always expected a lot from,” winning jockey Ryan Moore said.

“He was a good two-year-old, he won his Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown. I don’t know, maybe just the way the season unfolded, he took a while to really pull himself together,” Moore added.

Owned by the Coolmore partners

Owned by Coolmore, Mogul is set to stay in training and will be primed for an international campaign as a four-year-old.

Representing Aidan O’Brien at Sha Tin, Ballydoyle’s John Manton praised Mogul’s display.

“He was brilliant there today and he travelled well,” he said. “All week, he’s been doing everything we’ve asked him to do and today worked out just perfectly. He picked up well and ran well out to the line. He was very good.”

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Thanks Forever, who had posted some notable efforts but without winning in recent times, namely when placed in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m/6f) and last month’s Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m/6f), got his head in front on this occasion, his 16^th start.

Winning trainer, John Moore, said of Thanks Forever’s success:

“He really has deserved that. He’s been a model of consistency without winning one of the black type races.”

Moore nominated the Group 3 Premier Cup over a furlong further at Sha Tin (1400m/7f) next month as a possible season finale for Thanks Forever.

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