Romantic Warrior added another title to an already storied resume and jockey James McDonald made history when the pair completed the Hong Kong edition of the Triple Crown on Sunday.
Romantic Warrior swept the field to claim the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse, adding to his Group One Stealers’ Group One and Gold Cup wins earlier this season.
The Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained gelding had to fight hard for the win but stepped up when it mattered most, edging the late winner Count by half a length. Japan’s Deep Monster was third.
“He’s put the cherry on top and I think he should be horse of the year,” McDonald said.
The victory canceled out the upset of 2023, when the Romantic Soldier was knocked out by the nose in the final match of the Triple Crown.
McDonald, meanwhile, is the first jockey to win back-to-back Triple Crown titles, after riding Voyage Bubble to victory last year.
