Romantic Warrior from Hong Kong put up a strong show as the race favourite to win the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse this year, increasing his winning run in Group 1 to five and earning him his eighth victory overall at this level.
His G1 record thus far includes the Queen Elizabeth II Cup three times in a row (2022–2024), the Cox Plate in 2023, the Hong Kong Gold Cup, the Hong Kong Cup, and his first-ever G1 triumph at a mile in the Yasuda Kinen.
Son of Acclamation follows Heart Lake (1995), Fairy King Prawn (2000), and Bullish Luck (2006) as the fourth foreign winner. Trainer Chap Shing Shum and jockey James McDonald have won in Japan for the first time with the Yasuda Kinen triumph.
Through the Breeders' Cup challenge series, Romantic Warrior's victory earned her an automatic starting spot in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile.
Dobune took the lead as the race got underway, with Win Carnelian gaining ground on his outside. Breaking from stall seven, Romantic Warrior was comfortably positioned in sixth and two wide. The multiple G1 champion battled for space in the early going, but around 300 meters in, a clear path appeared in front of him. The son of Acclamation then found his rhythm, taking the lead at the 200-meter pole and speeding home, holding off the quickly approaching runner-up by a half-length.
"It was a great moment (to win this race)," said owner Pak Fai Lau. "I had been working on finding the right horse to bring here to race in Japan, so it was a really exciting and happy moment. I have had connections with Japan both in business and also within the racing circle, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to race here this time. The racing track here is wide and very fair and beautiful. I had heard from my friends in Hong Kong about the big fan base in Japan, but it was even more than I expected and I feel that they are very enthusiastic. I understand that the Japanese horses are very strong. Last time in Hong Kong, two Japanese horses nearly beat us and I’ve seen the Japanese horses racing in Dubai and in Australia so I know that they are of good quality. After this race, I think the horse should be quite tired. He’s had a big season so the option (to race in the Takarazuka Kinen) may not be a possibility this time.”
The Takarazuka Kinen (G1) will take place at Kyoto Racecourse on June 23 and is 2,200 meters, or around 11 furlongs.
"I have a world-class jockey, James McDonald. He’s the champion jockey at the moment and I have every confidence in him," said trainer Chap Shing Shum. “He loves Romantic Warrior and Romantic Warrior loves him. He does his best for him. Romantic Warrior’s best distance is 2,000 meters but in Hong Kong, the straight is 400 meters whereas in Tokyo it’s 525 and the hill goes up at 350 meters and down and flat at 250. So you need a horse that can handle 1,800 meters at Tokyo. After discussing with the owner, we have decided that the horse should be given a rest so he won’t race anymore this season."