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2025 Year in Review Santa Anita Opening Day Hong Kong Cup Results Hong Kong Jockey Challenge Hong Kong Cup woeks |
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 James McDonald gets interviewed after winning the Hong Kong Cup aboard Romantic Warrior four years in a row. |
The Longines Hong Kong International Races are the richest horse races run in Hong Kong, and is the last major race day for Thoroughbred flat racing anywhere in the world. Billed as the "Turf World Championships," four Group 1 races were contested on Sunday afternoon over the right-handed 1 3/16 mile turf oval at Sha Tin Racecourse. Conditions were ideal for racing for the 43,993 fans in attendance, with mostly cloudy skies, a daytime high of 18.5 C (65 F), and the turf going good. Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said, "Today was, in our view, a very, very special day where we saw tremendous sport. We are really proud that we attracted a record number of international and Chinese Mainland visitors of 13,370, double last season's HKIR. The attendance today included almost 10,000 Mainland visitors – an increase of more than 50 percent on last year. This season alone, the number of tourists to Sha Tin is more than 110,000. In summarising, when we look at the racing itself, it was absolutely world-class. The LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship (on Wednesday, 10 December) was a wonderful prelude but today was the absolute pinnacle of what we could have hoped for. We believe this was one of the greatest days of Hong Kong racing."
Andrew Harding, HKJC Executive Director of Racing said, "We have a saying that Winfried coined some years ago of 'One club, one team and one vision' and the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is the embodiment of that. So today, is not just the result of the efforts of the Racing Division, but colleagues right across the Club and we've seen just extraordinary and how excellent they are. This year has generated a level of international attention that has been quite exceptional and the Club is grateful for all of that."
During the stretch run of the Cup, a protester ran onto the track but was tackled and restrained by starter Chris McMullen to allow the field to safely pass. Engelbrecht-Bresges said, "We had to overcome a significant challenge in light of the tragedy of the Tai Po fire and you can see the emotions in the Hong Kong community are still very deep. We had an incident on the track. The person is obviously very aggrieved and he wanted to launch a petition and ask for further inquiries into the deaths caused by the fires. One has to take this into consideration when looking at this race day today, but we still believe this was one of the greatest days of Hong Kong racing."
In the main event, a compact field of just 7 older horses contested the HK$40 million (US$5.14 million) Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1) at 2000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on the turf. Three-time winner Romantic Warrior was sent off as the 1-10 favorite, looking for an unprecedented fourth straight Cup win off his Jockey Club Cup (G2) win after finishing close seconds in both the Saudi Cup (G1) and Dubai Turf (G1). In to challenge him included 8-1 second choice Bellagio Opera, second in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) after winning the Osaka Hai (G1) both at Hanshin, and 9-1 third choice Quisisana off her third place finish in the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (G1) at Ascot after checking in ninth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp.
46-1 longest shot Chancheng Glory was quickest away through an opening quarter in 26.26 before 33-1 Galen took over on the backstretch through a half in 50.67 and 3/4 in 1:15.92 pressed by Chancheng Glory and stalked by Romantic Warrior and Bellagio Opera. Turning for home, jockey James McDonald sent Romantic Warrior to the lead and he took over through 1 mile in 1:39.87. Kept to task by McDonald, Romantic Warrior easily held off Bellagio Warrior the rest of the way to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 2:02.29. It was a long 3 1/2 lengths back to late-running Quisisana third.
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# Horse Jockey Win Place 1 Romantic Warrior McDonald 2.20 2.02 2 Bellagio Opera Yokoyama 2.50 7 Quisisana Soumillon 3.20 Winning Time: 2:02.29 $2 Quinella 1-2 4.70 $2 Exacta 1-2 4.60 $2 Trifecta 1-2-7 11.60Results Chart from HKJC with video replay |
Left: Romantic Warrior in the winner's circle after the Hong Kong Cup. Winning jockey James McDonald said, "He's so special, he's so special. He's just a freak. I don't know what to say. I just love him. I love him."
Right: Romantic Warrior heads back to the barn in his winner's blanket. Winning trainer Danny Shum said, "I'm very proud of Romantic Warrior and our stable team, they work really hard. It's a big relief. He always gives me a lot of happiness, not only me but my stable, owners, my family and in Hong Kong, even racing fans or non-racing fans, they all love Romantic Warrior."
Left: Romantic Warrior heads out to the track before the race. Shum added, "To be honest, there was a lot of pressure. He had his surgery (when a screw was inserted in his left front leg at the end of May), but he is such a good, calm, lovely horse. He's part of my family, I love him. My son says I love Romantic Warrior more than him! He's very easy to train. He doesn't need too much work and his body weight will tell you, his appetite will tell you how fit he is."
Right: All the connections and officials pose with the trophy and winner's banner after the trophy presentation for the Hong Kong Cup. Shum added, "I always say, we know he's turning eight really soon, but he doesn't know he's turning eight. This is amazing. He's been in Australia, Japan, Dubai, second in the biggest prize money in the world in Saudi (Arabia). Also second in the Dubai Turf. He's come back and had two wins. The plan is always made by the owner, Peter. He has wisdom, we all trust him. If he says, 'Danny, go to Saudi Arabia', I'll go to Saudi Arabia. If he says, 'Danny stay in Hong Kong', I'll stay in Hong Kong. We're a good team, I trust Peter a lot."
Left: Second place finisher Bellagio Opera enters the track for the post parade. Jockey Kazuo Yokoyama said, "The horse went into the race in fantastic condition, and I'm very grateful for the tremendous support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. I think he gave everything he had and really showed his ability. The winner was a truly outstanding horse. Of course, it's frustrating to lose, but I'm grateful to this horse for allowing me to compete on a stage like this."
Right: Third place finisher Quisisana enters the track for the post parade. Jockey Christophe Soumillon said, "She ran very well but unfortunately the Japanese jockey completely messed us about turning into the straight. He wanted to follow Romantic Warrior and completely cut me off so I lost two or three lengths just as the race got serious. It took a while to get her balanced again but she finished very strongly."
James McDonald with Romantic Warrior after winning the Hong Kong Cup. Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said, "To see a horse in Romantic Warrior winning for the fourth time – it's never happened in history – in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and in emphatic style is amazing and he is now on HK$240 million in prizemoney and Danny Shum and James McDonald are incredible team with this champion horse. For us, it is extremely satisfying to see with a population of 1,350 horses, which is 0.7 percent of the world's horse population, that we have horses of this class. I would also like to congratulate our three trainers for their outstanding training performance. It is gratifying to see two-home grown talents able to be successful on the highest level."
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