#Romantic Warrior

Douglas Whyte believes a trip to Qatar for the H.H. The Amir Trophy (2400m) at Al Rayyan Racecourse on February 18 could "spark up" his two-time Group One winner Russian Emperor. Russian Emperor is joined by the Caspar Fownes-trained Senor Toba among the entries for the Qatar Group One contest, which boasts a purse of US$2.5 million (HK$19.5…

The LONGINES Hong Kong International 2022 racing came to a dramatic close at Sha Tin on Sunday with two hot favorites being defeated in the Group 1 races, but the events of the day did little to diminish the world class racing we got to enjoy over the entirety of the past week. The first upset came in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase when the heavily…

Racing is never short of a storyline and 2022 was certainly no different. Be it the good, the bad or the sometimes ugly, racing can at times resemble a soap opera as much as it does a billion dollar industry. With 2022 now in the rear view mirror we look back at the 30 biggest stories to shape the year with Part 2 today covering 15-1. 15) Melbourne…

Cyberknife, shown winning the Arkansas Derby, tops the list of invitations to the Grade I Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Kentucky Derby preps in California and New York highlight the weekend horse racing schedule with plenty of would-be stars looking for a big step…

Sydney's superstar jockey James McDonald has dismissed speculation he is considering riding overseas long-term as he sets his sights on one of racing's most revered records. The champion jockey is in hot demand wherever he rides and could command a prized position in the northern hemisphere with a leading stable or jurisdiction. But although…

California Spangle, seen at trackwork Dec. 7, tackles champion Golden Sixty and some tough foreign competition in Sunday's Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club HONG KONG, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The Longines Hong Kong International Races take center stage in weekend horse racing, with competition from around the globe…

It is the Group One clash to which every racing fan in Hong Kong - and millions more around the world - is counting down the days, but who will start the Stewards' Cup favourite if Golden Sixty, California Spangle and Romantic Warrior line up against each other over the Sha Tin mile on January 29? It is unlikely to be Golden Sixty, according to…

It's been a week of ups and downs in the HK jockeys' room. Matthew Chadwick's good season is on hold after he broke his right ankle in a barrier trial accident on Tuesday and the 32-year-old "will not be fit to resume riding for some time" according to a HKJC statement. Karis Teetan is heading in the opposite direction after a three-month absence…

A visit to the free-to-enter Hong Kong Racing Museum which overlooks the bend after the stands at Happy Valley racecourse gives an interesting insight into the sport's development in the former British colony. Racing in Hong Kong began as an amateur form of entertainment among the ex-pats in those colonial days but, for what remains a small-scale…

Anything good is worth waiting for and a LONGINES HKIR day that was three years in the making due to Covid restrictions created a host of vivid images. It started with Joao Moreira choking up at a packed paddock presentation to mark his exit from the HK racing scene. Win Marilyn's success in the Vase completed another memorable global year for…

Zac Purton: claimed the Hong Kong Vase with California Spangle California Spangle denied Golden Sixty a third success in the Longines Hong Kong Mile, with the odds-on favourite beaten by a masterful tactical ride from Zac Purton at Sha Tin. With Golden Sixty in his usual midfield position, Purton pressed ahead on the Tony Cruz-trained runner from…

California Spangle holds off Golden Sixty in Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club HONG KONG, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- A super day for Hong Kong highlighted weekend horse racing with action-starved fans emerging from pandemic lockdowns to cheer on some new heroes from the Sha Tin Racecourse grandstand. Two-year-old filly…

The Hong Kong International Raceday has arrived with four Group Ones on the menu, highlighted by the HK$34million Longines Hong Kong Cup. Race 1 - Class 4 (1400m) The opener is a Class 4 over the 1400m and CIRCUIT MIGHTY (1) can just about make it back to back wins. The five-year-old has come back in good order this season and was too good for…

They came to bow down to the old king and left saluting a powerful new prince of Hong Kong racing as Romantic Warrior left a high-class global field trailing in his wake at Sha Tin on Sunday with a thunderous performance in the HK$34 million Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m). Hong Kong racing's biggest crowd since the corresponding day in 2019 gave…

Romantic Warrior triumphant in the Hong Kong Cup (HKJC) By Graham Cunningham They came to bow down to the old king and left saluting a powerful new prince of Hong Kong racing as Romantic Warrior left a high-class global field trailing in his wake at Sha Tin this afternoon (Sunday, 11 December) with a thunderous performance in the HK$34 million G1…

Michael Kinane was new into his role as equine talent spotter for the HKJC when he arrived at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2019 and set about securing a son of Acclamation out of a mare from a strong Godolphin family. There was an element of disguise familiar to any Sales regular - Kinane left the ring while his daughter Aisling carried…

James McDonald guides Romantic Warrior to victory in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup at Sha Tin last month. Picture: Lo Chun Kit-Getty Images James McDonald has a lot of big races on his CV but he's determined to add the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup to that list and he won't get many better opportunities than this Sunday with rising star Romantic Warrior. The…

Rich Strike, seen posing the morning after his Kentucky Derby win, returns in Saturday's Grade I Clark Stakes with a chance to stake a claim for year-end honors. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs Nov. 25 (UPI) -- It's getting to be crunch time for horses who seek year-end honors, and this weekend's Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs provides one of…

March 18 (UPI) -- Oaklawn Park steps to the fore in weekend horse racing with a pair of competitive races on the Saturday program while the BMW Hong Kong Derby and the Golden Slipper in Australia headline the international action. Otherwise, there's no getting around the fact it's a relatively slow weekend. So we'll have a week-ahead look at…

There are a few names familiar to American racegoers that are heading to Hong Kong for the international raceday next month. Most are from Ireland. The foreign challenge for the four rich turf races includes a quartet from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle team, all of whom have run in the United States. Heading O'Brien's team is the shock 2020 Breeders'…

Havnameltdown wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 21 (UPI) -- One of the more interesting subplots of late-year racing is the emergence of late-blooming 2-year-olds and Del Mar's weekend program featured two of those -- Havnameltdown among the colts and Justique in the filly…

Further easing in the local COVID restrictions meant that the biggest crowd since January-better than 13000 racegoers-took in Sunday's BOCHK Jockey Club meeting at Sha Tin in person and were they ever rewarded. Making their seasonal debuts and having a single prep towards next month's Longines Hong Kong International Races, both two-time defending…

The Hong Kong international races are just three weeks away. Horses from around the world are getting ready for four of the richest international turf races around, with exciting contests assured. Though foreign horses have frequently been successful at the Hong Kong International meet, especially in the 1 1/2-mile Hong Kong Vase (G1) and the 1…

Ce Ce, shown winning the Azeri Stakes on March 12 at Oaklawn Park, is among the favorites for Saturday's Grade I Apple Blossom over the same track. Coady photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park April 22 (UPI) -- As spring blossoms, horse racing stars including Letruska, Ce Ce, Pizza Bianca, Malathat and Channel Maker return from winter vacations this…

Classic Causeway, shown winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes earlier in the meeting, is morning-line favorite for Saturday's Tampa Bay. SV Photography photo, courtesy of Tampa Bay Downs March 11 (UPI) -- With the Kentucky Derby picture still very much uncertain, Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby looms as a golden opportunity for one or more of the 3-year-olds…

The old saying dictates that you can leave Hong Kong, but it will never leave you. There's much to be said for taking a break from one of the world's most intense cities - especially when the fight against Covid is far from over - but an eight-week hiatus is enough to sharpen the appetites of most racing fans and players alike. Zac Purton and Joao…