Zac Purton was unmissable in his white jacket, dark blue ‘ZP’ branded helmet cap and that familiar look of his – the whip sticking antenna-like from the back pocket of his jeans. It was pre-dawn and the Tuesday before the Hong Kong International Races was about to begin with a couple of meaningful exhibitions showcasing excellence in motion.
Hong Kong’s champion jockey was less than 45 minutes away from riding the best sprinter in the world, Ka Ying Rising, in his final fast work before Sunday’s G1 Hong Kong Sprint. But Ka Ying Rising wasn’t the only superstar having a pre-race tune-up: Hong Kong’s other great champion of the moment, Romantic Warrior, was up first, a last gallop on the turf before he attempts to win his fourth straight G1 Hong Kong Cup.
Purton was just back from galloping a lesser athlete when at 6:22am James McDonald ducked between the bars of the sand yard gate, walked towards Romantic Warrior’s trainer Danny Shum and met him near the middle of the lot. Shum passed the jockey a light blue cap with the number seven printed on either side, and as J-Mac fitted it in place, Shum’s hands moved in tandem with the verbalised information he wanted the star rider to know.
Hugh Bowman was there, too, and Tom Simpson, the equine physio who is also a key part of the Romantic Warrior team. McDonald handed Simpson his whip as he pulled on his riding gloves. Two horses approached from the trotting ring, Romantic Warrior and his lead, Romantic Thor. McDonald and Bowman mounted.
It was a morning of expectations and Romantic Warrior lived up to them. The seven-year-old followed Romantic Thor around the floodlit grass, into the straight, and took aim at the winning post. McDonald angled the champion between Romantic Thor and the outside rail and the outcome was pleasing.
Romantic Warrior rolled upside easily and took a short lead, his ears up and flicking, his action smooth, his speed and strength evident. He was timed at 1m 16.9s for the 1200m, with a closing 400m split of 22.3s.
“It was a nice, easy breeze, he’s done it well. Beautiful,” McDonald said afterwards.
Romantic Warrior will head into the Cup as a hot favourite on the back of his recent win in the G2 Jockey Club Cup, his first race since his early-April loss by a nose in the G1 Dubai Turf. What followed was surgery to his near-fore fetlock and a summer of recovery. The obvious fear during that time was that the globe-trotting hero would not be the same when he returned to action.
“He’s better than he should be. He’s a marvel,” Simpson said as he passed by. Behind him Romantic Warrior exited the track and walked back to the sand yard unfussed, perhaps even as satisfied with his gallop as those watching.
“He’s not losing confidence, that’s for sure,” McDonald told Idol Horse. “He’s stretching well. I can’t say he’s getting any better, but he definitely hasn’t declined. He’s maintained a very high standard and his work suggests that he’s a very happy horse, but he’s always been a happy horse in his work. He loves it. But he’s bubbling with confidence, that’s for sure.”
With one champion done, the other was ready for his workout. This time on the freshly-harrowed dirt track. Purton was conspicuous jogging up and down aboard Ka Ying Rising in the trotting ring.
Darkness was turning to daylight by the time he and the G1 The Everest winner passed by the side of the trainers’ stand before turning away to enter the track.
“On the easier side …?” Purton called up to the five-year-old’s trainer David Hayes on the balcony.
“Whatever you’re comfortable with,” Hayes responded.
And off the horse and rider went, the white jacket’s back emblazoned with an image of the great sprinter on whom Purton was perched.
“David wanted me to go 24 (seconds) and sometimes he wants you to do a good 24 and let him do a little bit more, or he wants it a little bit easier, softer,” Purton explained to Idol Horse, “So I was either going to let him stride up or I was just going to look after him a little bit and I did the latter, I just looked after him.”
It wasn’t long before Ka Ying Rising appeared running solo at the top of the home straight, Purton taking a route smack down the middle as the horses ahead of him all stayed tight to the outside rail.
Ka Ying Rising being “looked after” was still an impressive sight. The gelding moved swiftly and fluidly and the power could be felt as he swept past, into the turn and away to be eased down. The world’s highest-rated sprinter was clocked at an official 23.2s for the final 400m.
“He’s developed into a lovely horse,” Purton said. “He’s a lot bigger and stronger now than he was this time last year. And he handles himself really well, he just does exactly what you want him to do.“He was really fresh last week, but we gave him that good gallop on the turf and that seems to have settled him down. He was a lot more relaxed this morning and he’s getting to that stage again where he’s just leading into a race nicely.”
And the race is what counts. Both horses are exceptional but the manner of their work four days out from their respective tests has lifted expectations even higher that each will surely enhance their profiles as great champions, and not just in Hong Kong. ∎
