Hong Kong stars Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior sweep Champions Day
Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior dominated Sha Tin, while My Wish completed a Hong Kong sweep that sent a clear warning to the world’s best.
Hong Kong turned FWD Champions Day into a showcase of power, depth and repeat elite form. Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior and My Wish won the three Group 1 features at Sha Tin on Sunday, a clean sweep that left the territory’s biggest names standing above powerful international challengers.
Ka Ying Rising delivered the most eye-catching performance of the afternoon in the HK$24 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize, winning by four and a quarter lengths and stopping the clock in 1:07.10. That time broke his own Sha Tin 1200-meter record of 1:07.12 and extended his winning streak to 20. It also completed the Hong Kong Speed Series for a second straight season, earning his connections a HK$5 million bonus and making him only the second horse to win the series twice.
Romantic Warrior was just as emphatic in the HK$30 million FWD QEII Cup. The star gelding won the race for the fourth time, took his 14th Group 1 victory and lifted his career record to 23 wins and five minor placings from 30 starts. His world-record earnings rose to HK$271.46 million, and he has now won 14 of 15 starts over 2000 meters at Sha Tin, a record that underlines how difficult he has become to beat on his home track.
My Wish’s victory in the FWD Champions Mile completed the local sweep and gave trainer Mark Newnham his first Group 1 breakthrough. For Hong Kong, that mattered almost as much as the headline wins by Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior. The result showed that the region is not leaning only on two superstars, but also producing the next wave.
HKJC chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges called the meeting one of the best, possibly the best, ever staged in Hong Kong, and the day backed up that claim. James McDonald called Romantic Warrior “bullet proof,” while Zac Purton said Ka Ying Rising’s effort was “pretty painless.” David Hayes, who trains the sprint star, said Ka Ying Rising is one of the best horses he has ever seen.
The bigger message travels well beyond Sha Tin. Wins like these shape how the international pecking order looks to bettors, owners and race planners in Japan, Dubai and the Breeders’ Cup picture. Ka Ying Rising is now one of racing’s most recognizable sprint names, and Romantic Warrior remains the benchmark in middle-distance racing. On a day when Hong Kong swept the board, both horses reminded the sport that the road to the top still runs through Sha Tin.
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