Romantic Warrior© Photo Healy Racing
Romantic Warrior lit up Champions Day at Sha Tin but there was a shock defeat for fellow Hong Kong hero Golden Sixty.
In testing conditions, the former had to do it the hard way after being forced very wide on the turn for home, as rank outsider North Bridge tried to steal it from the front.
Japanese challenger Prognosis then made his move and looked to be travelling strongly, but 9/10 favourite Romantic Warrior dug deep on the outside and powered through to get up by a neck and land a third straight FWD QEII Cup triumph.
Winning jockey James McDonald said of Danny Shum’s six-year-old: “I can’t believe this horse, I’ve got no words for him. It brings a tear to my eye how good he is and I’ll never ride another one like him.
“He was beaten at the 600, but he just finds a way – he’s incredible. I had 10 riders against me and was done no favours at all, and he’s pulled out a run like that.
“There wasn’t one part of the race where I was happy. I was in a rhythm but I was deep and not in a good spot, then he was off the bridle and struggling in the ground, but he just picked up – I’m just in disbelief.”
The William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour came home in seventh place under Tom Marquand.
A large crowd was earlier left stunned when local legend Golden Sixty could only finish fourth behind 117-10 chance Beauty Eternal in the FWD Champions Mile.
Zac Purton was allowed to track across from a wide draw and take up an early lead on Beauty Eternal and he then steadied the pace.
The John Size-trained five-year-old quickened up well from the front and was always in control of proceedings down the home straight, scoring by a length and a half from Red Lion.
Golden Sixty, bidding for a fourth consecutive victory in this contest, settled in a handy position but struggled to produce his trademark late turn of foot on rain-softened ground, while Archie Watson’s British raider Brave Emperor was back in ninth.
Purton said: “There was no pace in the race, which gave us the opportunity to lead, and I just thought this guy would like being on the fence, because he’s got that tendency to hang in all the time.
“He just got into a lovely rhythm, controlled the race and I thought the only chance I had to beat Golden Sixty was to try to put a gap on them and see how we went. Today was his day.
“I’ve always felt like there was just that little bit more there but he just wants to do so many things wrong in his races and he can’t let down to his full potential, but today we saw that on the rail.”
Jockey Vincent Ho said of Golden Sixty: “He ran well. The ground was not in our favour. When I hit the straight, I could already feel he could not pick up with his usual turn of foot.
“I know it’s a bit difficult. It is what it is, we can’t fight the weather. I was in a great position and everything was close to the speed, but still we couldn’t improve on that ground.”
Invincible Sage (59-10) enjoyed a smooth success in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, picking off the favourite California Spangle with ease around a furlong out before prevailing by a length and a half for David Hall and Hugh Bowman.
The winning rider said of the Australian import: “He is up to top class now. I think a rain-affected track may have assisted his performance, but even on a dry track I think we would have seen a winning performance today.”
George Boughey’s Believing finished back in ninth under Harry Bentley, who reported: “She was slightly slow away and then just couldn’t get going on the ground. She was never really comfortable.”
