Romantic Warrior Sets His Sights On The Hong Kong Triple Crown

On Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, Hong Kong’s star racehorse, Romantic Warrior, the world’s highest-earning racehorse, defeated his competition to win the Grade One Hong Kong Stewards’ Cup, the opening leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown, run on turf at a distance of 1600m at Sha Tin Racecourse. The Irish-born 8-year-old stallion won by 1¾ lengths, marking his 12th straight Grade One victory and setting a new national record. His incredible victory launched his attempt to complete Hong Kong’s coveted Triple Crown series. In the post-race trophy presentation, the chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (the organization that oversees horse racing in Hong Kong), Martin Liao, presented the trophy to Romantic Warrior’s owner, Peter Lau, his trainer, Danny Shum, and his main jockey, James McDonald, celebrating the win and praising Romantic Warrior’s outstanding performance.

Romantic Warrior’s attempt to conquer the Triple Crown is highly anticipated because it is a rarely accomplished feat. Only two horses in history have completed the Triple Crown: River Verdon, who completed it in 1994, and Voyage Bubble, who most recently completed it in 2019. The Hong Kong Triple Crown is made up of three races: the race that Romantic Warrior won, the Hong Kong Stewards’ Cup, the Hong Kong Gold Cup, run on turf at a distance of 2000m, and the Hong Kong Champions and Chater Cup, run on turf at a distance of 2400m. All three are rated International Grade One races and run at Sha Tin. After his victory in the Stewards’ Cup, Romantic Warrior’s connections targeted the last two races in the Crown. The Gold Cup is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 1, and the Champions and Chater Cup is scheduled for Sunday, May 24.

The horse is well-fit for the challenge, with his excellent form this season. Currently, he has won 21 of his 28 starts and has earned HK$247.38 million (equivalent to about $31.6 million US dollars according to the exchange rate at the time of this article) in prize money. In December, Romantic Warrior made history by taking the Grade One Hong Kong Cup, run on turf at a distance of 2000m at Sha Tin for the fourth consecutive time in a row, before his triumph in the Stewards’ Cup. Earlier in 2024, he competed overseas to win more major G1s, which included the Cox Plate in Australia, run at Moonee Valley Racecourse on turf at a distance of 2040m, and the Yasuda Kinen in Japan, run at Tokyo Racecourse on turf at a distance of 1600m, but this season the focus has mainly been on his home country of Hong Kong. A report by the Hong Kong Jockey Club said, after “campaigning overseas for much of the 2024/25 season, connections switched their focus to domestic domination in 2025/26, and the bid to match Voyage Bubble and River Verdon’s feats in becoming the only horses to sweep the Triple Crown is now underway.”

Romantic Warrior’s primary jockey, James McDonald, expressed nothing but praise after the Stewards’ Cup. McDonald called the horse, “the horse of a lifetime,” and admired his drive to win. “His demeanor, his courage, his will to win – it’s just in spades,” McDonald said. “It’s incredible. I say it every time, but when he steps out, it’s a privilege to ride such a horse of his calibre.” He also said that having a good position in the starting gate allowed McDonald and Romantic Warrior to relax the pace and wait for the right moment. Commenting about the Triple Crown campaign, he said, “It’s a long way to go, but, yeah, the first one’s ticked off.” 

Meanwhile, Romantic Warrior’s trainer, Danny Shum, who leads the “small but strong” team, said he was very proud of the horse. “He can handle 1600, 2000, even 2400 – he can handle any distance,” Shum said after the race. He also said that 2000m is the distance at which Romantic Warrior performs at his best, but so far, the horse has proven very versatile. “I’ll just keep him happy, keep him healthy – it’s a very easy job for me,” Shum said. In a later interview, he also thanked Romantic Warrior’s jockey, McDonald, and his owner, Peter Lau, calling them an important part of the dedicated team behind the champion racehorse.

As of now, all signs point to an exciting rest of the season for Hong Kong’s finest racehorse. With one leg of the Triple Crown secured, Romantic Warrior and his team have their hopes up for the Gold Cup and the Champions and Chater Cup, looking to achieve the prestigious feat that only two Hong Kong horses have ever done.

Sources: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing News (racing.hkjc.com), South China Morning Post (scmp.com)