The highlight of FWD Champions Day – the HK$30 million Group 1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) – sets the stage for a clash of titans at Sha Tin this Sunday, as local champion ROMANTIC WARRIOR takes on Japanese star MASQUERADE BALL and reigning Hong Kong Vase winner SOSIE.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR has remained unbeaten in four local starts since returning from his Middle East campaign in early 2025, most recently completing a hat-trick at the highest level in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup over this distance 56 days ago. The Danny Shum-trained star has not only dominated the local scene but has also proven himself on the world stage, collecting multiple Group 1 victories abroad. In his current vein of form, he looks primed to secure a fourth QEII Cup title.
MASQUERADE BALL, with four wins from just eight starts, is already a Group 1 winner, having captured the Tenno Sho (Autumn) two runs ago. He followed that up with a gallant second to CALANDAGAN—rated the world’s best racehorse of 2025—last time out. If he can reproduce that level of performance at Sha Tin, it would be no surprise to see him extend Japan’s strong recent record in this race following TASTIERA’s victory last year.
SOSIE, who has not raced since his emphatic Hong Kong Vase win in December, boasts an impressive record of four wins from eight starts at the highest level. His outstanding first-up strike rate of 83% further enhances his claims, and he is capable of giving ROMANTIC WARRIOR and MASQUERADE BALL a genuine challenge, even if the 2000m trip may be slightly short of his best.
