The eight-year-old gelding won 24 of 31 starts and became just the third horse to complete Hong Kong's Triple Crown
Legendary Hong Kong racehorse Romantic Warrior retires with world record earnings
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One of Hong Kong’s greatest racehorses, Romantic Warrior, has been retired following a leg injury, the Hong Kong Jockey Club confirmed, closing out a career that included a world record HK$288.74 million (roughly US$37 million) in total prize money.
Why is Romantic Warrior retiring now?
Scans last week revealed a change in one of the joints of Romantic Warrior’s right front leg, according to the Jockey Club. The horse’s owners decided to retire him after consulting the club’s veterinarians following further diagnostic imaging. It’s a similar issue to last year, when he underwent surgery to have a screw inserted into his left front leg, but the current injury is affecting the opposite leg.
[See more: Zac Purton: The first jockey in Hong Kong history to ride 2,000 Winners]
At eight years old, Romantic Warrior’s retirement fits a familiar pattern in Hong Kong racing. Owner Peter Lau Pak-fai has previously said around 90 percent of the city’s racehorses retire by that age.
What happens to him now?
Romantic Warrior will spend the next three months at Conghua Racecourse under continued veterinary monitoring before transitioning to his retirement home through the Jockey Club’s Restart Racehorse Aftercare Programme. The club plans a farewell ceremony at a Sha Tin raceday later this season.
What did Romantic Warrior achieve in his career?
The Irish-bred gelding won 24 of his 31 career starts, including 15 at Group One level, becoming the only Hong Kong-trained horse to win Group Ones in four different jurisdictions: Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and the UAE. He was the first Hong Kong galloper to win Australia’s Cox Plate, in 2023, and became just the third horse to complete Hong Kong’s Triple Crown earlier this year.
Trained by Danny Shum Chap-shing and ridden throughout his top-level career by jockey James McDonald, who called him “the best I have ever ridden,” Romantic Warrior returned from fetlock surgery to finish last season unbeaten in six starts, earning joint Horse of the Year honours alongside sprinter Ka Ying Rising.
