ROMANTIC WARRIOR – A TRUE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION

By Darren Winningham | Sunday, December 8, 2024

They say there are no sure things in racing and anything can happen ... and then there is Romantic Warrior!

I was at Sha Tin to watch the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR). The LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) was thirty minutes away. The lines at the Hong Kong Jockey Club race betting terminals were 20 deep. Patrons of all nationalities lined up placing win bets on their champion Romantic Warrior trained by Danny Shum and to be ridden by James McDonald.

They are placing their hard earned – maybe in some cases their rent and food money for the week on their new champion. I saw bets of HK$100 through to a lady who placed HK$200,000 on Romantic Warrior. A few Aussie lads had a lash with multiple HK$1000 bets as well.

We are at post time – the horse parades on the track. The crowd started chanting “JMAC, JMAC, JMAC”. The horse continues to canter to the barrier.

The race is on – Romantic jumps well. JMAC gets him settled and gets him well positioned going out of the straight.– so far so good the champion is racing well.

We get to the straight – JMAC gives him two cracks with the whip. The horse responds. JMAC looks around at the 200 metres, ironically right where the LONGINES sponsor's clock is situated and to his amazement he is all alone out in front

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