Romantic Warrior will bid to make more history this Sunday when he chases a record-extending fourth straight victory in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m).
He would also become the first horse to win four times at the Longines Hong Kong International Races.
First though, let’s relive the three spine-tingling victories that have ensured one of the greatest gallopers of all time stands on the precipice of the unfathomable.
Complete domination
As far as absolute brilliance and complete domination goes, you can’t go past Romantic Warrior’s first Cup win in 2022.
One of three times the champion has broken 2 minutes over 2,000m, Romantic Warrior stopped the clock in 1:59.70 to record his equal biggest ever winning margin of four and a half lengths.
Sent off $1.85 after winning the Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) in quick time three weeks earlier, Romantic Warrior’s main market rivals were Japanese pair Jack D’Or and Panthalassa.
Off like a flash from gate seven, Romantic Warrior was in front passing the winning post for the first time before McDonald let his mount find his rhythm while the swashbuckling Panthalassa surged to the front.
While the pace was well inside standard early, Romantic Warrior raced keenly in the one-one spot before eventually relaxing a pair or two further back as Panthalassa completed the first 800m almost a second inside standard.
After conserving his energy down the back straight, Romantic Warrior travelled ominously around the circle under a patient McDonald ride before being eased out into the open on straightening.
The rest is history, with Romantic Warrior putting the race to bed in little more than 100m before storming clear in the most emphatic fashion to bag his second Group One success.
“That was a superstar performance,” was McDonald’s line after the race, while Shum added that he and his jockey “planned it exactly like this”.
The gutsiest of wins
Romantic Warrior’s 2023 Cup success might not have been his most commanding performance but it was certainly one of his gutsiest.
Not long back from a successful but arduous trip to Australia for the Group One Cox Plate (2,040m), Romantic Warrior was clearly below his best but he still found enough to hold off a raft of fast-finishing opponents.
Again out of barrier seven, Romantic Warrior was away well and McDonald found a spot travelling sweetly one off the rail in fourth spot as Money Catcher set a leisurely early pace.
After gradually taking ground off the leader, McDonald was flushed out by Ryan Moore aboard third favourite Luxembourg crossing the 700m and the race was on.
While Romantic Warrior initially strode to the lead like a horse who might go bang again, he was running on empty in the final 200m as Luxembourg and Japan’s Hishi Iguazu loomed large.
In contrast to the previous year, the final margin of a short head was Romantic Warrior’s narrowest winning margin on home soil and the time of 2:02.00 his slowest Sha Tin 2,000m time of his career to that point.
“He’s the toughest racehorse I’ve ever sat on. He’s got a heart as big as a lion. His courage, his will to win is something I’ve never felt before,” said McDonald at the time.
A sprint into the history books
Before Romantic Warrior brushed aside more quality Japanese opposition in the form of Liberty Island and Tastiera in the 2024 Cup, no horse had ever won the race three times.
After leading into the first turn on the rail from barrier one, Romantic Warrior eventually settled one off the rail in a run race at a sedate tempo early.
Perfectly poised for the sprint home as the field bunched on the turn, Romantic Warrior had Tastiera to aim at entering the 400m.
After sailing past that galloper, Romantic Warrior was comfortably holding Liberty Island on the line as James McDonald turned to face his opponents and stood high in the irons as a one-and-a-half-length victory was sealed.
Despite slow going for much of the race, Romantic Warrior stopped the clock in 2:00.51 thanks to by far the fastest final 400m of his three Cup wins – 22.51 seconds.
“This was our moment to create history and it dead-set felt like I was lining up for the winning kick for the All Blacks, it was a pinch-me moment,” said a jubilant McDonald.
