Champion jockey James McDonald has described Romantic Warrior as oozing confidence as the gelding aims to win an unprecedented fourth HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (14 December).
McDonald said he couldn’t have been happier with the gelding’s gallop today (Tuesday, 9 December) when he was accompanied by stablemate Romantic Thor over 1200m on Sha Tin’s turf track and clocked 1m 16.9s, with a final 400m split of 22.3s.
“He is prepping up lovely,” McDonald said. “He worked with Romantic Thor, stablemate, nice and easy and breezed home well.
“He is oozing confidence, that’s for sure. He is stretching well and I can’t say he is getting any better, but he definitely hasn’t declined.”
McDonald said Romantic Warrior had maintained a very high standard and his work suggested he was a very happy horse.
“But he has always been a happy horse in his work, he loves it and he is bubbling with confidence, that’s for sure,” McDonald said.
After being sidelined for 232 days following surgery to his left-fore fetlock, the seven-year-old gelding returned in superb fashion last month when winning the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
Romantic Warrior became the first triple winner of the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup last year after victories in the jurisdiction’s richest race in 2022 and 2023.
McDonald will also be reunited with Galaxy Patch in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) after their last start victory in the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin last month.
“He was superb that day and obviously got a lot of luck on that particular occasion but he did the job well,” McDonald said.
“I feel he got a lot of confidence out of that race and has had mid-race prep in between, and that trial was superb, I thought.
“So, he is obviously full of confidence and he is going to need to be because it’s a very tough field but he is going the right way.”
McDonald is confident that Galaxy Patch is a Group 1 quality horse, but admits the gelding’s racing style has hindered his chances of winning at the top level so far.
“He needs a lot of luck in a race, a big field might suit him with a bit of tempo on and he does get back and who knows,” he said.
“He has definitely got the ability to overcome certain obstacles during a race. He is going to have to be on his A-game, and I feel he is judging by his trial the other day. He is feeling really, really good and I’m happy to be on him.”
McDonald admitted it was going to be a tough race to win with opposition like Voyage Bubble, a horse he rode to four Group 1 victories, including last year’s LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
Voyage Bubble finished second to Romantic Warrior when they clashed in their last start in November.
“There is Soul Rush who we all know so well and others, too,” McDonald said. “My Wish is the new kid on the block. It’s such a competitive race and probably out of the four (Group 1) races, it’s probably the most competitive race.”
By Daryl Timms
