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| Staff Writer |
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Romantic Warrior is headlining Friday's stellar card at Sha Tin as Hong Kong's finest prepare for next month's International Races, with the 6YO gelding targeting a slice of history in the Jockey Club Cup.
The Danny Shum-trained ace, who has already clinched top-level victories across three jurisdictions this season, faces 10 rivals in the Gr.2 Jockey Club Cup over 2000m. The race serves as the primary trial for the Gr.1 Hong Kong Cup on December 8, a race Romantic Warrior has dominated for the past two years.
Previous winners of the Jockey Club Cup include the legendary Viva Pataca (2007, 2008) and California Memory (2012), both going on to claim Hong Kong Cup glory. A victory would edge Romantic Warrior closer to surpassing Golden Sixty's earnings record of US$21.3 million.
The Jockey Club Mile sees rising star Galaxy Patch putting his credentials on the line for leading trainer Pierre Ng. The improving 5YO, successful in his seasonal return against Voyage Bubble, faces another stern test against Group One winners.
"Galaxy Patch is doing really well. He has improved from his last run. Hopefully the rain hasn't affected the track that much," Ng said. "This is another test for him against those two Group One horses. We're really looking forward to it as we build up towards the international race."
In the speed division, Ka Ying Rising stands out among 12 contenders in the Gr.2 Jockey Club Sprint. The David Hayes-trained speedster has been meteoric in his rise through Hong Kong's sprint ranks, having posted one of the fastest 1200m times ever seen at Sha Tin when winning October's Gr.2 Premier Bowl Handicap.
Hayes remains confident about his charge's prospects, stating: "I'd say he's as good as his last run."
The 4YO faces California Spangle, winner of March's Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai, though the latter finished three lengths adrift when they met in the Premier Bowl.
World-class jockey James McDonald, currently leading the Longines World's Best Jockey standings, jets in from Australia to partner Romantic Warrior. The combination has already secured seven Group One victories together, with McDonald expressing his enthusiasm: "It's always exciting to ride Romantic Warrior ... It's always exciting when his name is mentioned."
Recent trackwork indicates Romantic Warrior retains his spark, with Hugh Bowman reporting after a November 4 gallop: "The eye doesn't lie. He looks amazing and physically he's very sound, fit-looking and mentally he's the full package."
The presence of Nimble Nimbus, trained by Ricky Yiu, adds intrigue to the Cup following his third placing behind Romantic Warrior in February's Gr.1 Hong Kong Gold Cup. Yiu believes his charge "can always give you a bit of a surprise."
Heavy typhoon rains have prompted close monitoring of track conditions by Hong Kong Jockey Club officials, though preparations continue apace for what promises to be an enlightening afternoon of racing as the countdown to December's International Races intensifies.