December’s Hong Kong International Races look to be a tough go for foreign visitors after Romantic Warrior , Ka Ying Rising and Voyage Bubble laid down the gauntlet in their final preps Nov. 17 at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Romantic Warrior, Hong Kong’s own international superstar, didn’t turn a hair in dominating the Jockey Club Cup (G2) while prepping for a three-peat attempt in the big race, the Hong Kong Cup (G1), at the same 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) Dec. 8. Ka Ying Rising was, if anything, even more impressive in the Jockey Club Sprint (G2). And in the Jockey Club Mile (G2), Voyage Bubble led home a field including several potential December winners.
“He’s like the prize fighter, isn’t he?” jockey James McDonald said after Romantic Warrior cruised home 4 1/4 lengths ahead of the rest of the field in the Cup. “Heavyweight champion of the world. You never really get nervous on him because he’s so good. He’s an incredible horse. I love him to bits and he’s very good.”
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Well, yes. He is. The 6-year-old Acclamation gelding is on course to demolish some of the impressive Hong Kong records put up by the recently retired Golden Sixty and carried his talent abroad during the 2023-24 season to win the Cox Plate (G1) in Australia and the Yasuda Kinen (G1) in Japan.
And it’s little wonder McDonald is in love with him as he’s toted the New Zealand native to victory nine times from 10 rides.
“He never lets you down ever and he’s just got this amazing will to win. It’s something I’ve never come across,” McDonald said.
Trainer Danny Shum said he told the enthusiastic rider the December test will be a different story, assuming a fair number of the top world middle-distance runners accept their entries.
“The field will be totally different—much, much, much stronger than today. You see the entries. Wow, so many good horses. So, it’s a tough race on Dec. 8,” Shum said.
Assuming all goes well there, Shum is preparing Romantic Warrior for another tough challenge—a switch to the dirt for a try at the Saudi Cup (G1) in February and possibly the Dubai World Cup (G1) in April.
“It will be tough for him and the team not only in the next few weeks, but the next six months … The owner (Peter Lau), is really keen to go. He deserves to have a try. It’s once in a lifetime,” Shum said.
Meanwhile, Ka Ying Rising is starting to look like one in a lifetime in the Hong Kong sprint ranks.
The 4-year-old was asked to run only about 1,000 of the 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs) in the Jockey Club Sprint. After that, the issue was so well settled that jockey Zac Purton was enjoying the stroll and blowing a kiss to the camera.
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Even without being asked for much, Ka Ying Rising finished in 1:07.43, shattering the long-standing course record held by Sacred Kingdom. The victory was his seventh straight at Sha Tin and sets him up as the one to beat—and good luck to ya—in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1) Dec. 8.
“All he has to do really now is hold his form and I can’t see any reason why he won’t,” said winning trainer David Hayes. “We’ve got 21 more sleeps before the big group 1 in three weeks, so we’re really looking forward to it. I think he’s the horse they have to beat. I’m not sure what is coming at the moment but they will have a big job to beat him.”
The Jockey Club Mile turned up several contenders for December’s group 1 equivalent, the Hong Kong Mile (G1).
Voyage Bubble, a 6-year-old by Deep Field out of the Rahy mare Raheights, has been in the mix at the top level in Hong Kong for two years now but has been short on wins. He moved the needle on that with a gritty, 3/4-length victory over long shot Chancheng Glory, an Iowa-bred son of Mor Spirit . The favorite, Galaxy Patch, was third.
Voyage Bubble finished 13th in the Dubai Turf (G1) in March and 17th, behind Romantic Warrior, in the Yasuda Kinen. He returned from a four-month break to finish second to Galaxy Patch in the Sha Tin Trophy (G2) Oct. 13.
“We think there is still a little something left in him left to come,” said winning trainer Ricky Yiu. “Even though he finished second (in the Trophy), I think he was only 75 or 80 per cent fit and that race would bring him on.”
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