Trainer Danny Shum has revealed that Romantic Warrior may have a crack at next year’s Dubai World Cup and disclosed why Hugh Bowman has been the go-to man in trackwork and trials over Zac Purton in James McDonald’s absence.
Ahead of Romantic Warrior’s seasonal return in this weekend’s G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup, Shum provided his assessment of his stable star’s condition and outlined the potential plan for his seven-year-old this season.
While Romantic Warrior’s campaign could once again culminate at Meydan in April, Shum stated that his hope is to run in the Dubai World Cup on dirt, instead of the Dubai Turf, in which he fell agonisingly short behind Japan’s Soul Rush seven months ago.
“He’s well, he’s happy and he’s healthy,” Shum said of Romantic Warrior, who had a screw inserted into his left foreleg in May following a tough Middle East campaign. “He’s had three trials and one turf gallop at Sha Tin and all of the reports from the jockeys are positive.
“We’ll be going for another Hong Kong Cup and Saudi [Cup], then we might have one more shot at Dubai. Last year it was the Dubai Turf, but this time, it could be the Dubai World Cup instead. It all depends on his runs before but that could be the plan.”
The 10-time Group 1 winner, who came within a neck of Forever Young in a Saudi Cup for the ages in February, will make his highly-anticipated return to the track when he lines up this weekend in a mouthwatering clash with Voyage Bubble.
The Group 2 contest shapes as a clash of the titans both in thoroughbred form and in terms of the heavyweights in the saddle. The Longines World’s Best Jockey, McDonald, and Hong Kong’s prolific eight-time champion jockey, Purton, face off aboard Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble, respectively.
The showdown is enough to excite any world racing fan, especially when you throw in the mix the added subplot that Shum revealed at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
When McDonald has been away from Hong Kong, Bowman has been the trusted pair of hands to partner Shum’s pride and joy in pre-race trials and gallops – the Australian has ridden Romantic Warrior in his past eight trials back to February last year.
But Shum confessed that it was Purton who was originally given first priority to partner Romantic Warrior in McDonald’s absence, until he and owner Peter Lau consulted McDonald.
“James is very close with Hugh,” Shum said. “Before, I asked Zac Purton, but James said “no no, use Hugh”. I said OK, I’ll use Hugh and just in case James can’t ride, Hugh is the first priority.”
Purton, who rode Romantic Warrior when he was beaten a neck by Russian Emperor in the Champions & Chater Cup in 2023, will attempt to stop McDonald, Romantic Warrior and a very bullish Shum when Voyage Bubble jumps from gate four in the nine-runner field.
“He’s a global star and I’m very confident for this weekend,” Shum said. “I think he can run very well.
“I think he’s at the same level as last season. I don’t think he’s getting any better, but I think he’s as he was last year. He’s been doing really well after the surgery and all his work afterwards suggests he’s back to where he was.” ∎
