Romantic Warrior hands Shum and Hong Kong first Cox Plate triumph
Five-year-old stages thrilling display to take out Moonee Valley’s time-honoured Group 1
Danny Shum etched his name into the record books yesterday as his stable superstar, Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) produced an impeccable display to prevail by the narrowest of margins in a thrilling edition of the time-honoured Group 1, becoming the first Hong Kong-based trainer and horse to win the $5 million contest
A three-time Group 1 winner in Hong Kong, the five-year-old was ridden expertly by James McDonald, who was landing the Moonee Valley showpiece for the second successive year, having steered Anamoe (Street Boss) to victory in the contest 12 months ago, and after crossing the line a nose ahead of the Lindsay Park-trained Mr Brightside (Bullbars), McDonald confessed he didn’t think he had won.
“I can’t believe I’ve won the Cox Plate. This means so much to me, but I thought I got beaten,” McDonald told Racing.com.
It was yet another fine ride by the New Zealander, who put a fourth-placed finish behind Gold Trip (Outstrip) on the Hong Kong star gelding’s first Australian start in the Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) behind him, yesterday.
After shooting smartly out of the barriers, Romantic Warrior settled forward of midfield before being asked to extend by McDonald entering the home turn, cornering four wide and grabbing Mr Brightside in the shadows of the winning post, eventually beating that rival by a nose, in a bunched finish.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) produced another fine performance to finish a head away in third, while three-time Group 1 winner Duais (Shamus Award) was the first female past the line, a length away in fourth. Gold Trip improved from his ninth-placed finish in last year’s race, coming home in fifth.
Yesterday’s victory was the Romantic Warrior’s fourth at the highest level, with McDonald also in the saddle for his two wins in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Gr 1, 2000m), first in April 2022 and then again earlier this year.
McDonald said a tactical manoeuvre on his behalf at the 1200 metre-mark was the winning move, taking his horse back a spot behind Alligator Blood.
“I took a gamble about the 1000 metres or 1200 metres. We elected to come back a spot and right now I believe that was the winning move. Giving my horse an extra length to come back.” McDonald said.
“This horse is pretty special to me. I mentioned if he came to a Cox Plate he’d be a suitable horse.
“I meant what I said, and credit to Peter [Lau Pak Fai, owner] and Danny, it takes a hell of a lot of balls to come out of Hong Kong with all the prize–money. It is one of the world’s best racing jurisdictions, and they come here and showcase their boy.
“I reckon he’s got more to come, too. He’s been bubbling. A significant amount of improvement like I thought he did (would) and he loves the bloody Valley.
“I was comfortable. I knew I was on the right horse I kept going ‘he’s the best horse, he’s the best horse’ so I’d ride him like it.”
Romantic Warrior and Shum’s route to the Group 1 had not been plain-sailing, with the gelding forced to overcome a host of challenges, including missing his intended final trial in September due to a typhoon in Hong Kong. Shum also warned the five-year-old was only ‘90 per cent fit’ heading into yesterday’s Group 1, criticising the facilities at Warrnambool, believing them to be below par compared to the rest of Australia and in Hong Kong.
However, all that seemed to be a distant memory yesterday, as an emotional Shum summed up what this victory meant to him.
“First thing, I’d like to thank Moonee Valley Racing Club,” Shum told Racing.com. “Second, I want to say I am from China, Hong Kong. Hong Kong Jockey Club, there is some team. Thank you very much. I don’t know how to tell you how happy I am.
“I want to thank Peter, the owner, for allowing me to come here. James McDonald, all the team, all the Hong Kong fans, my wife Christine, my son Aaron. I love you, I love you.
“After that [the Turnbull], he was not really ready, but he got better day-by-day. I was confident he would run a good race. It is a strong race. He overcame all of the challenges and the difficulties. James McDonald gave me a very good report.
“It has big meaning for me as a trainer. It makes me happy. I’m more happy than I can tell you.”
The victory handed the trainer his second overseas success after his victory with Little Bridge (Faltaat) in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Royal Ascot in 2012.
Bred in Ireland by Tim Rooney and David Egan of Corduff Stud, Romantic Warrior (5 g Acclamation – Folk Melody by Street Cry) was bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 300,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2019, before fetching $4,800,000 when selling to owner Peter Lau Pak Fai at the Hong Kong Jockey Club International Sale in 2021. The winner of 11 of his 16 starts, his prize–money earnings now stand at AU$18,570,776.
The gelding is out of winning Street Cry (Machiavellian) mare Folk Melody, and she is herself a daughter of Canadian Grade 1 winner Folk Opera (Singspiel).
Romantic Warrior is one of 66 stakes winners and six Group 1 winners Acclamation (Royal Applause), who stands at Rathbarry and Glenview Studs, where his northern hemisphere fee in 2023 was set at €27,500 (approx. AU$45,900) and he stands in Europe alongside Newgate Farm 2021 Cox Plate winner State Of Rest (Starspangledbanner).
Romantic Warrior became only the second Hong Kong horse to win an Australian Group 1 after Cape Of Good Hope’s (Inchinor) win in the Australia Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) for David Oughton at The Valley in 2005, and the first international Group 1 on the international stage since Aerovelocity (Pins) won the 2015 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Gr 1, 1200m) at Japan’s Chukyo Racecourse and 2015 G1 International Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) in Singapore.
“We’re pretty shattered”
The Lindsay Park team admitted they thought Mr Brightside had held onto victory, but that jubilation was quickly dashed after Romantic Warrior was announced the winner. Despite coming out second best, Ben Hayes, who trains with his brothers Will and JD, expressed his pride in their runner’s brave performance.
“There was just a better horse on the day, unfortunately,” Hayes said. “We actually thought he’d won when they crossed the line, so that makes it that little bit worse, but he is just an absolute superstar.
“He’s ticked off that 2000 [metre box] and we couldn’t be prouder of the horse and the whole team at home. But we’re pretty shattered.”
Hayes said a trip to the Far East for the Hong Kong International meeting at Sha Tin on December 10 is in the pipeline for Mr Brightside.
“It was only a bob [of the head] on the line. We’ll see how the horse is first and if he pulls up well, we could head there [Hong Kong].”
The Hong Kong Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) is also an option for Mr Brightside, who turned in his best performance beyond 1600 metres in yesterday’s Group 1.
Gai Waterhouse’s quest to win the Cox Plate will have to wait for at least another year, but she was pleased with the gelding’s performance to finish third.
“[Alligator Blood’s] such a good horse and the horses that beat him are the crème de la crème,” she said. “The best horse in all of Asia [Romantic Warrior] and Mr Brightside, who has been his sparring partner all spring.
“My horse was very brave and fought right to the line. He got in front and dared them to run him down and it took two exceptional horses to nail him. It was such a fabulous race with great horses going toe to toe. That’s what we have been waiting to see.”
Meanwhile, connections of Gold Trip were pleased with his fifth-placed finish in the Group 1 and co-trainer Ciaron Maher said the gelding would now head to the beach, before being readied for his defence for his Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) crown at Flemington on November 7.