Romantic Warrior could sweep Hong Kong Triple Crown on Sunday
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 8, the Ireland-Bred began training in August and a trio of barrier trials showed that he was sound enough to make his seasonal debut in the Group 2 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 Hong Kong Cup (G1) against four international invaders. Staying home and skipping the Middle East, Romantic Warrior has continued his hot streak with three more Group 1 stakes wins in 2026, including the first two legs of the Hong Kong Triple Crown.
On Sunday, Romantic Warrior, the leading money earner of all time, goes for his first Triple Crown sweep in the Champions & Chater Cup (G1) going about 1 1/2 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 this race. His best distance is clearly 1 1/4 miles, 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 8-year-old son of the immortal Deep Impact who won two of his last three starts going this distance against Group 2 company, and Rousham Park, who was fifth behind Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin in December. They both are seasoned travelers but look short on Group 1 credentials.
Of the local runners, Numbers looks intriguing as a pace horse who might forget to stop. He was second in the Queensland Derby (G1) in Australia 11 months ago before shipping to Sha Tin to be pointed toward the BMW Derby (G1). Drawn in post 13 going 1 1/4 miles, 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 QEII Cup (G1) 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 FWD Champions Mile (G1), 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 1 1/4 miles in the past year. In his lone start at the Champions & Chater Cup distance, he was a good second in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup (G3) over a yielding turf course. Firm ground will be much appreciated.