Romantic Warrior Stuns at Longines HKIR, Golden Sixty Is Defeated

[Wandering Eyes]

In front of a crowd estimated to be around 30,000 who had waited for over three years for this day to come, three of Sunday's four Group 1 events at the Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting went the way of the home team, even as its brightest star was eclipsed on an overcast afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories.

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) was made the prohibitive $1.50 (1-2) favourite to win a third consecutive Hong Kong Mile to equal the record set by Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan) from 2007-2009. His main rival was California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), a €150,000 Goffs Orby purchase who had failed to solve Golden Sixty on a couple of occasions, including last time in the G2 Jockey Club Mile when California Spangle had a break in the weights and a significant pace advantage. Given an ice-in-his-veins ride by Zac Purton Sunday afternoon, the 4-year-old was overtaken by a stablemate on the turn, but Purton never panicked, sending California Spangle into the lead in upper stretch and Golden Sixty couldn't quite catch up.

“He's a lot more relaxed this season and he kept coming back underneath me,” said Purton. “I kept trying to click him along but he was waiting for the other horses. I think we've seen today that he is a little bit versatile.”

The strength of last year's crop of Classic horses was further amplified in the day's richest event, the Longines Hong Kong Cup, where BMW Hong Kong Derby and G1 FWD QE II Cup hero Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) made easy work of an accomplished group to score by 4 1/2 very convincing lengths for Longines World's Best Jockey James McDonald, subbing for Karis Teetan. Romantic Warrior was hammered down to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 300,000gns at the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale before selling to owner Peter Lau at the 2021 Hong Kong International Sale for HK$4.8 million. With his victory Sunday, Romantic Warrior has made his purchase price a dozen times over.

Reigning champion sprinter Wellington (Aus), a son of Black Caviar's half-brother All Too Hard (Aus), was just a 3-1 chance in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint behind favoured Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}), winner of the local prep in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint three weeks ago. But, given a perfect ride from Ryan Moore–deputizing for the injured Alexis Badel, the 6-year-old–lame out of the JC Sprint–proved his superiority with a smooth 3/4-length success.

Japan won the Longines Hong Kong Vase for the third time in four years when the Damian Lane-ridden Win Marilyn (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) outfinished Godolphin's Botanik (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) and defending champion Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), making his final career appearance. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) were not serious factors.

Full race reports will appear in this space later Sunday.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG CUP-G1, HK$34,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-11, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 1:59.70, gd.
1–ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE), 126, g, 4, by Acclamation (GB)
1st Dam: Folk Melody (Ire), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Folk Opera (Ire), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Skiphall (GB), by Halling
(300,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT; HK$4,800,000 HRA '21 HKJUN). O-Peter Lau Pak Fai; B-Corduff Stud & T J Rooney; T-Danny Shum C S; J-James McDonald; HK$19,380,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 4yo-HK, 10-9-0-0, $7,769,720. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.  Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Danon the Kid (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Just A Way (Jpn)–Epic Love (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (¥100,000,000 Fl '18 JRHAJUL). O-Danox Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Takayuki Yasuda; J-Yuichi Kitamura; HK$7,480,000.
3–Money Catcher (NZ), 126, g, 5, Ferlax (NZ)–Warren's Sister (NZ), by Savabeel (Aus). (NZ$13,000 Wlg '18 NZBMAY; NZ$60,000 2yo '19 NZBRTR). O-The Sunflower Syndicate; B-; T-Frankie Lor F C; J-Silvestre de Sousa; HK$3,400,000.
Margins: 4HF, 3/4, 1. Odds: 4-5, 14-1, 43-1.
Also Ran: Tourbillon Diamond (Aus), Russian Emperor (Ire), Geoglyph (Jpn), Jack d'Or (Jpn), Ka Ying Star (GB), Lei Papale (Jpn), Panthalassa (Jpn), Order Of Australia (Ire), Savvy Nine (Fr).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG MILE-G1, HK$30,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-11, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.41, gd.
1–CALIFORNIA SPANGLE (IRE), 126, g, 4, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Pearlitas Passion (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
2nd Dam: Paimpolaise (Ire), by Priolo
3rd Dam: Basilea (Fr), by Frere Basile (Fr)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€150,000 Ylg '19 GOFORB). O-Howard Liang Yum Shing; B-M Enright; T-Tony Cruz A S; J-Zac Purton; HK$17,100,000. Lifetime Record: 14-9-5-0, $6,068,602. *1/2 to Wychwood Warrior (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), MSP-Ire, SP-UAE. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.  Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Golden Sixty (Aus), 126, g, 7, Medaglia d'Oro–Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor. (A$120,000 Ylg '17 MMGCYS; NZ$300,000 2yo '17 NZBRTR). O-Stanley Chan Ka Leung; B-Asco International Pty Ltd (Qld); T-Francis Lui K W; J-Zac Purton; HK$6,600,000.
3–Laws of Indices (Ire), 126, c, 4, Power (GB)–Sampers (Ire), by Exceed and Excel (Aus). (€8,000 Ylg '19 GOFOCT). O-Aquis Farm Stallions, D P Hickey et al; B-N Hartery; T-Annabel Neasham; J-James McDonald; HK$3,000,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 3 3/4. Odds: 11-5, 1-2, 54-1.
Also Ran: Beauty Joy (Aus), More Than This (GB), Danon Scorpion (Jpn), Excellent Proposal (Aus), Waikuku (Ire), Schnell Meister (Jpn). Scratched: Salios (Jpn). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG SPRINT-G1, HK$24,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-11, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.76, gd.
1–WELLINGTON (AUS), 126, g, 6, by All Too Hard (Aus)
1st Dam: Mihiri (Aus) (GSP-Aus, $123,433), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Danoise (Aus), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Solo de Lune (Ire), by Law Society
(A$70,000 Ylg '19 MMGCYS). O-Mr & Mrs Michael Cheng Wing On & Jeffrey Cheng Man Cheong; B-Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd, David Paradise, Steve McCann (NSW); T-Richard Gibson; J-Ryan Moore; HK$13,680,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Sprinter-HK, 19-12-1-0, $6,866,036. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.  Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Sight Success (Aus), 126, g, 6, Magnus (Aus)–Tarp (Aus), by Bletchley Park (Ire). (A$45,000 Ylg '18 MGCFEB). O-Tam Wing Kun; B-G R Daws (WA); T-John Size; J-Christophe Lemaire; HK$5,280,000.
3–Sky Field (Aus), 126, g, 6, Deep Field (Aus)–Laravissante (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$175,000 Ylg '18 NZBJAN). O-Kwan Shiu Man, Jessica Kwan Mun Hang & Jeffrey Kwan Chun Ming; B-M Ryan (NSW); T-Caspar Fownes; J-Blake Shinn; HK$2,400,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, NK. Odds: 31-10, 14-1, 33-1.
Also Ran: Courier Wonder (NZ), Meikei Yell (Jpn), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), Cordyceps Six (Aus), Super Wealthy (Aus), Stronger (Aus), Naran Huleg (Jpn), Duke Wai (NZ), Gendarme, Resistencia (Jpn), Lim's Kosciuszko (Aus). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG VASE-G1, HK$22,000,000, Sha Tin, 12-11, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:27.53, gd.
1–WIN MARILYN (JPN), 122, m, 5, by Screen Hero (Jpn)
1st Dam: Cosmo Cielo (Aus), by Fusaichi Pegasus
2nd Dam: Shorwon (Aus), by Buena Shore
3rd Dam: April Wonder (Aus), by Newtown Wonder (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Win Co Ltd; B-Cosmo View Farm; T-Takahisa Tezuka; J-Damian Lane; HK$12,540,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW & MG1SP-Jpn, 17-6-2-1, $4,725,187. *1/2 to Win Malerei (Jpn) (Matsurida Gogh {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $701,941. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Botanik (Ire), 126, g, 4, Golden Horn (GB)–Autumn Lily, by Street Cry (Ire). O/B-Godolphin; T-Andre Fabre; J-William Buick; HK$4,840,000.
3–Glory Vase (Jpn), 126, h, 7, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Mejiro Tsubone (Jpn), by Swept Overboard. (¥52,000,000 Ylg '16 JRHAJUL). O-Silk Racing Co Ltd; B-Lake Villa Farm; T-Tomohito Ozeki; J-Joao Moreira; HK$2,200,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 11-2, 79-10, 27-10.
Also Ran: Panfield (Chi), Stone Age (Ire), Bubble Gift (Fr), Senor Toba (Aus), Broome (Ire), Butterfield (Brz). TNP-Mendocino (Ger). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.

 

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