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| Sumita Pawar |
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Peter Lau's remarkable horse, Romantic Warrior, secured an unprecedented third FWD QEII Cup victory at Sha Tin on Sunday, stunning jockey James McDonald and reaffirming his reputation for late surges.
In a spectacular display, the superstar notched his seventh Group One win despite facing numerous obstacles. From stall ten, he battled a challenging trip, navigated through a pace that worked against him, and was pushed wide by rivals on the home turn.
Despite these challenges, Romantic Warrior replicated last year's triumph by holding off Prognosis, trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida, to win by a neck, surpassing Eishin Preston's two victories in 2002 and 2003.
Prognosis, despite starting slowly and losing ground at the beginning, made a threatening move under Yuga Kawada's guidance. However, he was ultimately overtaken by Romantic Warrior in the home stretch, settling for second place by a narrow margin.
“I'm speechless - he's awesome,” an emotional McDonald said. “He was beaten at the 600m, he just finds a way. It's incredible. I dead-set didn't have one thing go my way. I had ten riders dead-set against me and the horse. I just had no favours.
“He is incredible. There wasn't one part of the race I was happy with, to be honest with you. Going out of the straight the first time, I was deep, but I was in a rhythm but not in a good spot.
“1000m from home, I was finally having a rest and one took off and at the 600m, he was off the bridle and struggling in the ground a tad and he just picks up. I'm just in disbelief.”
Romantic Warrior's fighting spirit was once again on display as he added another narrow victory to his impressive record as Hong Kong's top middle-distance horse.
He had previously won the Gr.1 W.S. Cox Plate in October, the Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup in December, and the Gr.1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup in February. The 6YO will now aim to expand his remarkable record with another overseas race.
Trainer Danny Shum is considering shortening his distance to a mile for the Gr.1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse on June 2nd, provided the horse remains in good health. Shum said that the horse seemed a bit tired after his last race, so they would ensure he was in good condition before scheduling his next race.
“He ran a good race, he always tried and James did a good job. We all love this horse. He always tries his best. Today, no horses could lock him in - he just wouldn't stop trying. James ran a good race not to rush him, keep him balanced and keep all his momentum.”
Amidst challenging conditions on the yielding Sha Tin turf, Romantic Warrior stood out as a rare success story, contrasting with the struggles faced by many horses, including the renowned Golden Sixty in the Gr.1 FWD Champions Mile.
Japanese contender North Bridge claimed third place, adding to the international mix of placings, while British challenger Dubai Honour, who finished third last year, disappointed with a seventh-place finish under the guidance of William Haggas and Tom Marquand. Massive Sovereign, winner of the BMW Hong Kong Derby, trailed further behind in the rankings.