Romantic Warrior: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

By Dick Powell

At the start of the 2025-26 Hong Kong Racing Season, Romantic Warrior was hardly on anyone’s radar. After a grueling campaign the season before, when he raced in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and then, back to the UAE, he came home and had surgery on his left fore fetlock on May 21, 2025.

At his age and considering the amount of racing and traveling his illustrious career demanded, it looked like Romantic Warrior was at the end of the line. About to turn eight, the Irish-Bred began training in August and a trio of barrier trials showed that he was sound enough to make his seasonal debut in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup in November.

The Danny Shum-trainee was still the darling of the bettors and he rewarded their confidence with an emphatic win over Voyage Bubble, winner of the 2025 Hong Kong Triple Crown. Next up was an easier-than-expected romp in the rich G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup against four international invaders. Staying home and skipping the Middle East, Romantic Warrior has continued his hot streak with three more group one stakes wins in 2026 including the first two legs of the Hong Kong Triple Crown.

This coming Sunday, May 24, Romantic Warrior, the leading money earner of all time, goes for his first Triple Crown sweep in the G1 Standard and Chartered Champions & Chater Cup going 2400m (approximately 1 ½ miles) at Sha Tin. In his lone start at this extended distance in 2023, he was run down by a nose to Russian Emperor in that year’s edition of the last. 2000 meters is clearly his best distance but as he has grown older, his cruising speed seems better than ever so the added distance should not be a problem.

The field of nine has attracted two runners from Japan: Deep Monster, an eight-year-old son of the immortal Deep Impact that won two of his last three starts going this distance against group two company, and Rousham Park, who was fifth behind Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup here in December. They both are seasoned travelers but look short on group one credentials.

Of the local runners, Numbers looks intriguing as a pace horse that might forget to stop. He was second in the G1 Queensland Derby in Australia 11 months ago before shipping here to be pointed towards the G1 BMW Derby. Drawn in post 13 going 2000m, he went to the front and held well before being run down by Invincible Ibis. His last start was a seventh behind Romantic Warrior in the G1 FWD QEII Cup against a much better field of international rivals.

Cap Ferrat, winner of the 2025 BMW Derby, has yet to win since but ran great last out at 37-1 in the G1 FWD Champions Mile when he almost overcame post 14 in very fast time. He was third in last year’s renewal of this race in his lone start at today’s distance and will try to stretch out off four one-mile races.

Finally, trainer Tony Cruz has won the Champions & Chater Cup an amazing seven times and is represented by Gentlemen Legacy who shows three wins going 2000 meters in the past year. In his lone start at today’s distance, he was a good second in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup over a yielding turf course. Firm ground will be much appreciated.