Perhaps the two best horses ever trained in Hong Kong will headline what promises to be an action-packed Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The highest-earning racehorse of all time with north of HK$217 million to his name, Romantic Warrior will attempt to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m).

Victory in the first seven-runner Cup since 2007 would make Romantic Warrior the only four-time HKIR winner and the market suggests only Japan’s Bellagio Opera is a chance of getting anywhere near Danny Shum Chap-shing’s 10-time Group One winner.

James McDonald, who was on Friday night presented with the Longines World’s Best Jockey award for the second straight year, will again be the man entrusted with steering Romantic Warrior to glory.

The world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, faces a greater quantity of rivals in the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) but there again looks to be nothing with enough quality to trouble the local star.

After adding the world’s richest turf race, Australia’s Group One The Everest (1,200m), to his burgeoning CV, Ka Ying Rising will bag a sixth win at the elite level if he can go back to back in the Sprint.

Should all go to plan and Ka Ying Rising accounts for the likes of Helios Express, stablemate Tomodachi Kokoroe, Fast Network and Japan’s Satono Reve, he will draw within one win of Silent Witness’ Hong Kong record of 17 straight victories.

Already the most successful jockey in the history of HKIR, Zac Purton will move to 13 feature wins at the meeting should he get Ka Ying Rising around successfully.

While the Sprint and the Cup look certain to stay in Hong Kong, the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) is almost guaranteed to head abroad.

Reigning champ Giavellotto leads a raiding party that features fellow Briton Eydon, French heavy hitters Sosie and Goliath, Ireland’s Al Riffa and Los Angeles and Urban Chic from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Should Sosie win for Andre Fabre or Los Angeles for Aidan O’Brien, they would make their trainer the most prolific in Vase history. As it stands, that pair share the mantle with three wins each.

Long a force at HKIR, Japan hasn’t tasted success at the city’s marquee meeting since 2022 and it’s chances of rectifying that in the Group One Hong Kong Mile were hit at Thursday’s barrier draw when leading contenders Embroidery and Soul Rush drew wide in gates 10 and 11, respectively.

Last year’s Mile winner, Voyage Bubble (12), and O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter (14) also copped double-figure draws, opening the door for another leading local hope, My Wish, out of gate two and Galaxy Patch, who won the main lead-up race, from alley five.

While the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained Voyage Bubble, who will be ridden by Purton, is chasing a sixth Group One success, rising star My Wish is chasing a maiden elite-level success and a first in Hong Kong for his trainer Mark Newnham and jockey Luke Ferraris.

Off the track at Sha Tin on Sunday, K-pop artist Rain will provide the opening performance in the parade ring before the races and there will also be live music throughout the meeting.