Record 13th Group 1 victory delivers eight-year-old gelding’s second Gold Cup by four lengths
Dominant Gold Cup Performance Puts Triple Crown Within Reach
Romantic Warrior extended his status as the most accomplished racehorse in Hong Kong history on Sunday, March 1, sauntering to a four-length victory in the HK$13 million Group 1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000 metres) at Sha Tin Racecourse – his 13th top-level win worldwide and his second triumph in this specific race, having first won it in 2024. The effortless performance, delivered under a hands-and-heels ride from champion jockey James McDonald, leaves the eight-year-old Acclamation gelding one win away from completing a sweep of Hong Kong’s coveted Triple Crown, one of the few achievements that has eluded him in a career of extraordinary distinction.
Trained by Danny Shum, Romantic Warrior has now won Group 1 races in Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. He holds the world record for career prize money earned, having accumulated HK$254.66 million in earnings – a figure that grows with every race day. His owner, Peter Lau Pak Fai, purchased him for HK$4.8 million at the 2021 Hong Kong International Sale. The return on that investment has been staggering by any measure.
A Race Over Before it Started
The Gold Cup was contested over a small field of six horses, but it was settled almost immediately once Romantic Warrior was asked to quicken. Racing third as Beauty Joy set a solid pace, McDonald peeled the champion wide turning for home and let him stride clear. The race was functionally over within seconds of them entering the straight. John Size’s Ensued ran a gallant race to hold second by 1.25 lengths over Francis Lui’s Winning Wing, ridden by Dylan Mo Hin-tung. The winner covered the final 400 metres in 22.52 seconds, clocking a final time of 1 minute 59.77 seconds in good ground conditions.
“He is just beautifully prepared by Danny. His team has done a marvellous job,” said McDonald, who cut an emotional figure post-race, as he has done repeatedly aboard this horse that has taken him to the very summit of the sport. “Every time I get on him, I just cherish the moment. I feel so special every time and you look between his ears and he is just so alert.” The jockey’s relationship with the horse has become one of the most celebrated partnerships in modern international racing.
Triple Crown History and What Lies Ahead
Hong Kong’s Triple Crown for older horses consists of three Group 1 races at escalating distances: the Stewards’ Cup (1,600 metres), the Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000 metres), and the Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup (2,400 metres). Romantic Warrior won the Stewards’ Cup in January 2026 and has now taken the Gold Cup, putting the Triple Crown one race away. Only two horses in Hong Kong racing history have completed the sweep: River Verdon in 1993-94 and Voyage Bubble in the most recent season. If Romantic Warrior completes the Triple Crown at Sha Tin on May 24, he will join an exceptionally select group.
A HK$10 million bonus awaits if he succeeds. Before that, trainer Shum has mapped out a path that includes the HK$30 million Group 1 FWD QEII Cup on April 26 – a race Romantic Warrior has already won three times, from 2022 to 2024 – adding yet another potential milestone to a career that has seemingly already achieved the impossible.
The Wider Story of Hong Kong Racing
Romantic Warrior’s continued excellence provides Hong Kong racing with a narrative asset of enormous value. The Hong Kong Jockey Club operates one of the world’s premier racing circuits and contributes billions in tax and charitable distributions to Hong Kong each year. The Jockey Club’s role as a social institution – funding hospitals, educational programmes, and community facilities – has historically made it one of the few entities able to operate above the political fray in the city. In a Hong Kong where so many institutional pillars of civil society have been dismantled or compromised since 2020, the Jockey Club’s continued operation as a transparent, world-class sporting and charitable body provides at least one model of institutional integrity.
Romantic Warrior’s global profile has also taken Hong Kong racing to audiences in Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and beyond. His narrow defeat to Forever Young in the 2025 Saudi Cup remains one of the most dramatic moments in recent racing history, but Shum has not ruled out another attempt at the Saudi race in 2027. “His condition is getting better and better,” Shum said after the Gold Cup. “I always say I am so proud of him – he makes me more money, he makes me more famous and he makes my dreams.”
An Eight-Year-Old Still Improving
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Romantic Warrior’s story is his longevity. At eight years old – an age when many racehorses have long since been retired to stud or have seen their peak form plateau – the champion is still recording Group 1 victories against the best competition in Asia. His preparation for the Gold Cup involved recovery from surgery on his left fore fetlock in May 2025, adding a chapter of resilience to an already extraordinary story. BloodHorse magazine noted that his four-length win was “so complete” that connections were already looking beyond the Triple Crown to another season of international travel. The horse was foaled on March 18, 2018, at Corduff Stud in County Kildare, Ireland – a long way from the racetracks of Sha Tin where he has carved out his legendary status. Thoroughbred Daily News documented his Gold Cup performance as among the most effortless of his career, noting the hands-and-heels nature of McDonald’s winning ride – barely a tap needed to leave six rivals trailing.
Ho Yi Lam
Youth Affairs & Education Journalist, Apple Daily UK
Contact: hoyi.lam@appledaily.uk
Ho Yi Lam is a youth affairs and education journalist with professional experience covering student movements, higher education policy, and generational change within Chinese-speaking communities. She received her journalism training at a top-tier Chinese journalism school, where she specialized in education reporting, interview methodology, and media ethics, with an emphasis on public-interest journalism.
Her reporting career includes work with Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese newspapers, producing coverage on campus governance, academic freedom, curriculum reform, and youth civic engagement. Ho Yi’s journalism is grounded in firsthand interviews with students, educators, and policy experts, supported by careful review of official documents and research data.
She has worked in newsroom environments where education reporting intersects with political sensitivity, giving her practical experience in source protection and verification. Editors value her ability to present complex institutional issues clearly while maintaining factual accuracy.
Ho Yi’s authority is built through consistent publication within reputable media outlets and adherence to editorial standards, including transparent sourcing and correction protocols. At Apple Daily UK, she delivers reliable, experience-driven education journalism that informs readers through evidence-based reporting and professional integrity.
