Hugh Bowman Optimistic About Rousham Park's Chances Against Romantic Warrior

Hugh Bowman is optimistic he can extract the best out of Rousham Park in the Japanese stayer’s clash with Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in Sunday’s Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m).

Set for his third crack at a top-level feature at Sha Tin, the Hiroyasu Tanaka-trained Rousham Park boasts a consistent record of six wins and as many placings from 21 starts.

The seven-year-old finished behind Romantic Warrior in his previous two Hong Kong trips, running eighth in the 2023 Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) and fifth in the same race last year, and was a Group One runner-up in the Osaka Hai (2,500m) and Breeders’ Cup Turf (2,400m) in 2024.

Bowman jumped at the chance to ride Rousham Park when Australian expat Adam Harrigan, a consultant and translator for many trainers in Japan, contacted him.

“Adam reached out to see if I had a ride, which I didn’t. I’ve ridden in Japan in the past with success, so there are connections there,” Bowman said.

“The horse has travelled very well and run very well previously. The most eye-catching run to me was his Breeders’ Cup performance behind Rebel’s Romance and we saw what Rebel’s Romance was able to do when he came here.”

Rousham Park will bid to join Rebel’s Romance, the only overseas raider to win the Champions & Chater Cup in 2024, on the honour roll of the final Group One of the Hong Kong season.

He ran an encouraging third in his only start this year in the Group Two Nikkei Sho (2,500m).

“He does look to be a tricky horse – I don’t think he’s straightforward, so it’s going to be interesting to get a feel of him,” Bowman said.

“Obviously I haven’t spoken to connections about tactics, but we’ve got a nice draw in barrier three, I’d imagine we just try and get him to switch off and relax in the early and middle stages and he looks to me like he’s got a pretty dynamic turn of foot if he’s ridden that way.

“Like any horse, it’s important that he gets into a nice rhythm but he’s proven at the distance, while some other horses are not, so it makes for an interesting race.”

Tanaka believes Rousham Park will be better suited at the Champions & Chater distance than the 2,000m of his two Hong Kong Cup tilts.

“We haven’t achieved the best result we wanted [in Hong Kong] yet, but I believe 2,000m is right on the limit for Rousham Park and can reduce his overall performance,” Tanaka told the Jockey Club.

“Romantic Warrior is an exceptionally strong horse who has maintained his level for many years as a champion. I’m looking forward to competing against him. The 2,400m distance should work in Rousham Park’s favour, and with signs that he is returning to form, I hope he can produce a performance that surprises people. I have high hopes now.”

Romantic Warrior will no doubt be a short-priced favourite on Sunday as he bids to complete Hong Kong’s Triple Crown – the Group One Stewards’ (1,600m), Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) and Champions & Chater.

Rousham Park will be joined in Sunday’s race by fellow Japanese galloper Deep Monster, who is fresh from his second career Group Two victory in the H.H. The Amir Trophy (2,400m) in Qatar in February.

Bowman has a full book of 11 rides on Sunday, with Seraph Gabriel one of his top chances in the Class Three Standard Chartered Wealth Solutions Handicap (1,800m).

“Seraph Gabriel is one I’m very excited about. He’s drawn the outside barrier and I haven’t fared well in the draws, so I’m going to need a bit of luck,” Bowman said of the David Eustace-trained gelding, who was an unlucky seventh behind Nautical Force last start.

“We’ve got a true rail and quite often the fence is not the place to be with a true rail, so we’ll see what happens.”