Romantic Warrior’s quest for Hong Kong racing history was denied in extraordinary circumstances at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday night (5 April) when Danny Shum’s champion was thwarted by the barest possible margin by Japan’s Soul Rush in an epic staging of the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m).
In front until virtually the last stride, Romantic Warrior was claimed by Soul Rush and jockey Cristian Demuro, who could scarcely believe Yasutoshi Ikee’s charge had timed his lunge to perfection to claim the most important win of his career.
“It’s as good a performance as he’s ever produced, he beat the best horse in the world today,” Demuro said after he drove Soul Rush out of a chasing pack to cut down Romantic Warrior by a nose in 1m 45.84s with Maljoom third.
“It is a special win because we are now part of the Romantic Warrior story. He doesn’t lose many races but today he found a good horse.”
Jockey James McDonald and Danny Shum had to endure an agonising wait before the judges declared Soul Rush the winner as speculation whirled of a possible dead heat. Unfortunately for Shum, McDonald and owner Peter Lau, Soul Rush’s triumph was confirmed soon after.
A regular competitor at Sha Tin where he has tasted defeat in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) to Golden Sixty and Voyage Bubble, Soul Rush avenged his loss to Romantic Warrior in the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) last year.
Bidding for an unprecedented 11th Group 1 victory by a Hong Kong horse, Romantic Warrior earned HK$7.78 million for second place, taking his career earnings to a world record-extending HK$214.70 million.
But McDonald was crushed after Romantic Warrior’s bid to add to his bulging haul of Group 1s – the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2022, 2023 & 2024), FWD QEII Cup (2022, 2023 & 2024) and 2024 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and three more in Australia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates – had come up desperately short.
“He’s had a long campaign. He ran his heart out,” a downcast McDonald said.
Resuming for the first time since an equally heart-breaking second in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) in February, Romantic Warrior showcased his incredible quality and toughness in defeat against six individual Group 1 winners.
Jumping cleanly from barrier nine he sat in third place, controlling the race under McDonald who set the seven-year-old alight entering the straight and led by more than a length at the 200m, only to be overhauled by one of Japan’s most mercurial talents.
