Hong Kong racing phenomenon Romantic Warrior faces ten rivals in Saturday’s (5 April) G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) and everything looks right for another mighty exhibition over the same course and distance which saw him shatter the track record in January’s G1 Jebel Hatta (1800m).
But his jockey James McDonald sees this as a strong field, quipping at trackwork this week: “I wish it was a bit weaker!”. Like trainer Danny Shum, he envisages most danger coming from the four-strong Japanese contingent.
Of those, McDonald, who has ridden Romantic Warrior to nine of his ten Group 1 wins, picks out Yuga Kawada’s mount and Japanese Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island: “I believe she has had a better lead-up here than prior to her run at Sha Tin in December,” said the New Zealand-born rider referring to Liberty Island’s preparation before her late-closing one and a half lengths second to Romantic Warrior in the 2024 HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
Of Romantic Warrior’s own Meydan preparation, McDonald said: “He seems more relaxed than he was in Saudi and the guys who live and breathe him every day say that he hasn’t missed a beat. They are very happy with him.”
It was in February’s G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) that the world’s most valuable horse race also provided one of the most unforgettable contests when Romantic Warrior – having his first start on dirt – was grabbed in the shadows of the post by Forever Young.
And in the spectacular finale to Saturday’s Meydan card, Yoshito Yahagi-trained Ryusei Sakai-ridden four-year-old Forever Young has a first-class chance of following up that Saudi Cup victory in the 11-runner G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m, dirt).
Like Romantic Warrior, he is unbeaten at Meydan having dominated the closing stages of the G2 UAE Derby (1900m, dirt) at this meeting last year.
Also on this meeting last year, Tony Cruz-trained California Spangle led almost throughout to win the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m), and John Size-trained Howdeepisyourlove, to be ridden by McDonald, will be one of the favourites to gain a follow-up victory in this Group 1 charge up the Meydan straight.
The six-time winner will need to overcome a clutch of highly accomplished UK-trained speedsters including Believing, paired with William Buick, who came close to winning a European Group 1 on each of her last three 2024 starts, and West Acre, who has thrived since arriving in Dubai, showcasing explosive acceleration to win a Meydan Group 2 in January – lowering the track record – and Group 3 here last month. Those were both at 1000m but jockey Callum Shepherd has gone on record saying he thinks the progressive George Scott-trained gelding, the only three-year-old in the race, could be even better over the 1200m of the Al Quoz Sprint.
Frankie Lor-trained Sword Point, also pairing with McDonald, encounters a fiercely competitive and cosmopolitan field for the G2 Godolphin Mile (1600m, dirt). One of the favourites is expected to be California-based and Frankie Dettori-ridden Raging Torrent, a decisive winner of Santa Anita’s G1 Malibu Stakes (1400m, dirt) last start.
