James McDonald bullish on Romantic Warrior for Triple Crown glory

James McDonald is bullish Romantic Warrior can deliver him back-to-back Triple Crowns when the champion galloper aims to complete a perfect season in Sunday’s Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin.

McDonald was the first rider to claim Hong Kong’s Triple Crown in 31 years when he won last year’s Group One Stewards’ Cup, Group One Gold Cup and Champions & Chater on Voyage Bubble.

River Verdon is only other galloper to achieve the historic feat when winning all three legs in 1993-94.

Danny Shum Chap-shing’s 14-time Group One winner Romantic Warrior boasts a world record HK$271,465,697 in prize money, but still has yet to win a Triple Crown after being narrowly defeated in the final leg in 2023.

“It’s exciting – it would’ve been good if he was going for his second too, because he only got beat a nose in it after going for it a couple years ago. It’s not going to be easy, but he hasn’t put a foot wrong. It’d be a lovely achievement for him to add to his amazing résumé already. It’s very exciting and obviously it’s going to be a big challenge,” McDonald said.

“He led that day, obviously, and he’s not a leader. He hasn’t led since. He got worked over from the 1,000m and then was left a sitting duck. That won’t be happening here and he’ll be a strong finisher.”

McDonald will be hoping for a similar race to what Voyage Bubble was granted in last year’s edition when enjoying an easy run in transit off a strong tempo, and finishing over the top of his rivals to win easily.

“That would be a dream, but those sort of scenarios hardly ever pan out like that. That was pretty outstanding, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better run on Voyage Bubble that year and if Romantic Warrior gets half as good a run or similar, he’ll put a gap on them like Voyage Bubble did too,” McDonald said.

Romantic Warrior has enjoyed an unblemished preparation since returning from an admirable Middle East campaign when winning the Group One Jebel Hatta at Meydan and securing two narrow second placings at his following Group One starts.

Since being back on home soil, the Acclamation galloper has won at all five starts including four Group Ones and sits second in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings behind Hong Kong’s sprinting sensation Ka Ying Rising.

“He’s just got bigger and stronger, he’s got better and he handles himself well. He loves being at home – he loves Hong Kong. You really see a big difference, he’s just basically impeccable, he loves Hong Kong and he loves competing at home,” McDonald said.

McDonald will ride the race on Sunday with the same approach that has won him 13 Group Ones aboard the hometown hero, regardless of the extra 400m beyond his favoured distance of 2,000m.

“Nothing really will change to how he’s been running over 2,000m. He’s an exceptional galloper over 2,000m, I’m not really worried about the distance,” McDonald said.

“He’s had the perfect preparation – he’s had five starts, he’s going as good as ever and four of those five starts have all have been over 2,000m. So he’s arguably had the best grounding for the race and he’s arguably the best – or he is the best horse in the race. So he’s got a lot going for him.”

Romantic Warrior will come up against solid opposition on Sunday that includes the pair of Japanese raiders who have both won up to Group Two level – Rousham Park and Deep Monster.

“Rousham Park we’ve ridden against a few times. He’s a very talented galloper on his day and he’s a good mile-and-a-half horse. But he is a little bit temperamental, I suppose – there’s two Rousham Parks,” McDonald said.

“Deep Monster won well in Qatar last time, beating Goliath – so the form line stacks up pretty well and obviously the booking of Joao [Moreira].”

The other local contenders consist of Group One placegetter Winning Wing, Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat, Group Three winners Numbers and Romantic Thor, as well as Ka Ying Generation and Gentlemen Legacy.

McDonald is full of praise as always for the incredible job that Shum and his team have done to maintain Romantic Warrior’s record and have him peaking on the major days.

“Amazing training effort, Danny just knows him so well. Danny and [wife] Kristy just adore him and he gets, as he should be, well looked after,” McDonald said.

“They’ve done a marvellous job throughout his career because it’s not easy – big pressure – and he never really races short of 2,000m. You’ve got to know what you’re doing and to have him with the record he’s got is a phenomenal effort by the team.”