Romantic Warrior imperious in Cup prelude

Champion stayer Romantic Warrior's imperious HK$5.35 million ($923,000) Group 2 Bank Of China Hong Kong (BOCHK) Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) triumph at Sha Tin on Nov 17, has laid the foundations for Danny Shum's ambitious 2024-2025 campaign - crowned by a bid for a third consecutive HK$40 million Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) victory on Dec 8.

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Extending his winning streak to six, Romantic Warrior ($5.30) claimed his second BOCHK Jockey Club Cup with a commanding performance under James McDonald, defeating Ka Ying Generation (Andrea Atzeni) and Nimble Nimbus (Jerry Chau) in 1min 59.7sec.

Taking his overall record to 16 wins and three seconds from 21 starts, Romantic Warrior boosted his earnings to HK$154.92 million to continue his pursuit of the retired Golden Sixty's world record haul of HK$167.17 million.

Jumping from barrier 1, Romantic Warrior settled in sixth behind Sword Point (Derek Leung) and, as the field approached the home turn, McDonald angled off the fence and fanned four wide to challenge. Taking over at the 400m, Romantic Warrior exploded clear to win by 4¼ lengths.