It was one of those rare race days on March 20 at Sha Tin Racecourse when everything seemed to be going the way the BMW Hong Kong Derby was meant to be — all the way to the finish line, it proved. ants Romance Warrior edge California Spangle with a head.
As expected, the draw played a big part in the result with California Spangle forced to make a hard sprint from an out door to take the lead. In awe of his racer, Zac Purton, the California Spangle was pushed hard for most of the race.
Coach Danny Shum and driver Karis Teetan’s hopes of a win also came true as the Romantic Warriors got a good position and a clean ride – just what the doctor ordered after the defeat. his ride at the hands of California Spangle at the Hong Kong Classic Cup.
WHAT. A RACE!? 😱
It’s a classic innovation of the number 145 @BMW The Hong Kong Derby as the Romantic Warrior nearly repaired the California Spangle for @KarisTeetan & Danny Shum. 🔥#4YOSeries | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/A2h4SqW1FG
– HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 20, 2022
And, in the end, it comes down to what racing fans love — a dramatic, desperate 100-meter sprint to the ropes between two horses that now seem to offer a new generation of excitement for the racers. Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Racing Club Rewards: Romantic Warrior is the first Hong Kong International Sales graduate to win the Derby, the most prestigious race of the season in the eyes of local owners parties, including Peter Lau, who spent HK$4.8 million (approximately US$613,000) on his son. Welcome on the recommendation of Shum.
“I think he can run really well in the post-Classic Cup post-Cup Derby,” said Shum. “He went four points but still finished fourth. It was a good run and he learned a big lesson. I went into the Derby with confidence because he was an easy guy. He didn’t fight. in races. If it’s a good pace, he doesn’t fight; if it’s a slow pace, he can go a little further forward.”
During the Derby, Teetan kept the Romantic Warrior in a perfect stalking position all the way to the top of the ramp, taking on a challenge outside of his fearsome opponent and, as hoped, having enough in the tank to complete it. Work.
Teetan talks about Romantic Warrior. “I had a nice trail until going straight and I have to say I thought ‘God, Zac’s horse is going to be tough.’ This horse is a little pony, but it has a big heart and I am truly grateful to everyone — the owner, Danny and his team.”
Purton warned before the race that a barrier draw and eager competitors could derail the California Spangle’s hopes and that, coach Tony Cruz said, that’s how it turned out.
“Zac said people came too soon to catch him, but if he has his own way, I think he will win,” Cruz said.
The two are likely to meet again in the FWD QE II Cup (G1) on April 24 at the same 2,000 meters (about a quarter of a mile).
“My next plan is the Queen Elizabeth II Cup,” said Shum, “because no foreign horses have arrived and this is the right time for him to fight experienced horses. He is still can improve, this horse. If he wins, I’ll be happy. But if he runs in the first three or four, I think it will be a good lesson for him to improve himself.
Shum added: “I would like to thank the Hong Kong Jockey Club for putting this horse in the International Sale. “Actually, the CEO (Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges) in the stable also told me ‘This is the right one,’ so we chose the same horse.”
Lacking a livestock industry, HKJC introduces new top-of-the-line blood into its racing population by purchasing individuals with global sales potential, then reselling them to eager local owners. The Romantic Warrior was originally selected in the Tattersalls’ 2019 Sale of October 2019 by former Irish equestrian champion Michael Kinane. With the victory in the Derby, the Romantic Warrior brought his career earnings to HK$24.8 million (approximately US$3.17 million).
The only highlight of the day are the closed and fenced doors leading to the massive Sha Tin stand. As Hong Kong suffers its fifth and most severe wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, only essential racing officials will be allowed into the luxury racing facility. Even employers of athletes are denied admission.
But if the Derby performance is any indication, when things return to normal, Lau will be able to cheer on the Romantic Warriors in the big races for some time to come if his horse follows Footprints of previous Derby winners like Vengeance Of Rain, Ambitious Dragon , Design in Rome and Werther —All have won the QE II Cup.
