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Romantic Warrior left no doubt about his wellbeing with an emphatic dirt trial victory at Sha Tin on Monday morning, setting the stage for an ambitious campaign that could span three continents.
The Danny Shum-trained superstar, partnered by Hugh Bowman, demonstrated his versatility by mastering the dirt surface in the 1,200m trial. Travelling strongly behind midfield, he swept past Victor The Winner and California Spangle with minimal urgency in the straight.
The 6YO's remarkable journey includes five consecutive Group One victories across three countries in 2023-24, culminating in a historic triumph in June's Gr.1 Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo. Previous Hong Kong Cup winners who achieved multiple victories include Jim And Tonic (1999) and California Memory (2011, 2012), though none have managed three successive wins.
"The eye doesn't lie – from where I was sitting it looked pretty good," Bowman said. "He's in good shape and he had a good blow after it, but he recovered quickly. He looks amazing, physically he's very sound and mentally he's the full package."
After targeting an unprecedented third Hong Kong Cup victory in December, worth approximately US$4.5 million, connections are eyeing an ambitious dirt campaign. The US$20 million Saudi Cup and US$12 million Dubai World Cup are being considered for early 2024.
"That's the first time I've trialled him on the dirt and he seemed to handle it," Bowman noted, adding further credence to potential Middle Eastern targets.
Meanwhile, Dubai champion California Spangle, handled by Brenton Avdulla, showed encouraging progress ahead of his Group Two Jockey Club Sprint engagement.
"I let him do a little bit without overdoing it and Romantic Warrior was pushed to get past him. I think he's come on and he's improving. He's not at 100 per cent yet but he's not far away," Avdulla reported.