Romantic Warrior Bids for HK Stardom in Classic Cup

The Hong Kong Classic Cup, the middle leg of the series that leads to the BMW Hong Kong Derby, goes to the post Feb. 27 with a full field and plenty of prospects but only Romantic Warrior enters with a chance to become the third horse ever to sweep the prestigious triple.

The race is 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) around the Sha Tin Racecourse turf, following the Hong Kong Classic Mile and leading up to the Derby, run at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on March 22.

The distance progression makes the series, restricted to 4-year-olds, one of the toughest feats in Hong Kong racing. Only Rapper Dragon in 2017 and Golden Sixty in 2020 have turned the trick.

Despite all that and despite the proliferation of international group 1 events at Sha Tin, the 4-year-old Classic Series races, and especially the Derby, remain the season's most prestigious target for local owners. The Derby dates to 1873.

The favorites in this renewal, practically by default, are the 1-2 finishers from the Hong Kong Classic Mile on Jan. 30. In that, California Spangle led most of the way, only to be chased down in the closing stages by Romantic Warrior, who won by 1 1/2 lengths. The Irishman and Turin Redsun, third and fourth in the Mile, also are back.

For what it's worth, Romantic Warrior, who remains undefeated, had to wait for racing room through the stretch in the Mile and responded gamely when shown daylight. The Irishman was making up lots of ground on the outside. California Spangle was used early from an outside gate but then allowed to dictate things rather easily through the middle stages before giving way in the final 50 meters.

Romantic Warrior's rider, Keris Teetan, acknowledged in the buildup to the Classic Cup that his mount has to continue answering distance questions as the series unfolds.

"Of course, it is in the back of our minds that he is stepping up in distance again but he's a progressive horse. I galloped him on Saturday (Feb. 19) and he went really well. He is in good shape and I think the distance will be okay because he can relax and he has a nice turn of foot," Teetan said.

Romantic Warrior—a son of Acclamation —was purchased out of the 2021 Hong Kong International Sale for HK$4.8 million (about US$615,000)—a figure he has swiftly repaid to owner Peter Lau Pak Fai with five wins from five starts. Should he land the winner's share of the Classic Cup, his earnings would jump to HK$17.255 million—more than US$2.2 million.

Turin Redsun, by Dubawi  out of the Azamour  mare Irish Rookie , herself twice placed in group 1 races, jumped up to finish fourth in the Classic Mile in his third start in Hong Kong. Alexis Badel hops aboard for hot trainer Douglas Whyte.

"It seems like he is coming together at the right time and I think it is a good ride to pick up," Badel said. "I'm fully confident that the horse can be very competitive."

Of his good fortune in picking up the ride, he added, "It's Hong Kong. You don't think too much sometimes. You find a horse, or you find another one, then you get kicked off and you find another one. It's like a circus."

The jockey colony is strictly limited by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and operates without agents.

The Irishman, group-placed in Australia before coming to Hong Kong, is trained by Francis Lui, who said patience is his key.

"He's had enough experience, he just needs to settle a bit when he runs. He just wants to go a bit," Lui said. "I think he just needs to settle and even in the gates he's always a bit tense. So he just needs to relax a bit more."

Although the series doesn't carry the international luster of Hong Kong's international races, it has been a producer of future-year stars in those events. A case in point is Golden Sixty, who ran on from his series sweep to spin a 16-race winning streak that ended only in January.

Recent spikes in pandemic cases in Hong Kong have forced the HKJC to conduct racing behind closed doors after a short period when limited numbers of fans were allowed back into the stands. The tight new rules prohibit even owners of runners from entering the track to watch their horses run.