He might be one of the world’s best middle-distance racehorses, however, Romantic Warrior will have to defy a worrying trend for Hong Kong-trained runners racing in Australia if he is to deliver victory in Saturday’s (7 October) G1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
Using this weekend’s contest at Flemington as his springboard into the G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) on 28 October, Romantic Warrior will need to become just the second Hong Kong-trained runner to secure Australian victory following 47 previous attempts from 18 individual horses.
Cape Of Good Hope – a Group 1 winner in Great Britain also – boasts Hong Kong’s sole victory in Australia, securing the (now known as the William Reid Stakes) 2005 G1 Australia Stakes (1200m). He also placed in three other top-level contests Down Under.
Super Kid finished second twice, while Lucky Nine fell agonisingly short to a rampaging Buffering in the 2013 G1 Manikato Stakes (1200m). Romantic Warrior’s crusade snaps an eight-year dry spell that a Hong Kong horse has made the journey to Australia, but for trainer Danny Shum and his team, travelling is nothing out of the ordinary.
“There are a lot of challenges, especially to Australia. I’ve travelled to Dubai, England, Singapore, Japan, and it’s not as difficult as Australia. The quarantine, even his schedule changes in Hong Kong before he leaves,” said Shum, who also had to source new feed for Romantic Warrior in Australia.
Alongside Ivan Allan, Shum campaigned horses to Japan, Dubai and more. He also famously won at Royal Ascot with Little Bridge as a fully-fledged trainer in 2012.
“But it makes me and my team tougher; we will solve the problems and we are working very hard to ensure the horse is in the right spot. Ben, Gary, the mafoo – they are all looking after the horse very good, it’s a good team,” he said.