![Romantic Warrior cruises in a 1700m trial at Happy Valley [HKJC]](https://betsy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/20250927-HV-Batch1-ROMANTIC-WARRIOR-JCX_6919-scaled.jpg)
After a year of injury and narrow defeats on the world stage, Romantic Warrior returns to his castle of Sha Tin looking for “his Winx moment” in the Hong Kong International Cup on Sunday.
Jockey James McDonald knows what is at stake with a fourth win in the Hong Kong International Cup where Romantic Warrior has turned back the raiders for the past three years.
“You don’t run in the same race four times at this level, you definitely don’t win it,” McDonald said, “if you do you are beyond elite.”
“He is trying to have his Winx moment. This is Hong Kong’s Cox Plate.”
“That’s how big it is.”
McDonald will ride in all four International races at Sha Tin on Sunday, Bundle Award in the Vase and Fast Network in the Sprint are place hopes, while Galaxy Patch is one of the favourites in the Mile.
But Romantic Warrior is the clearly the focus.
He returned from injury with victory in the slowly-run Jockey Club Cup last month, which he has won on his way into the Cup for the past two of three years, the other time was through his Cox Plate victory.
McDonald rates 10-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior as the best he has ridden and was hurt from the photo finish defeats in the Saudi Cup by Forever Young on dirt and the Dubai Duty Free to Soul Rush earlier in the year still lingers.
“He has won in Australia and Japan as well as at home,” McDonald said. “He might have been feeling something in the Saudi Cup and in Dubai and it took top-class horses to beat him.”
“It was great to have him back and it would be great for him to get this piece of history.”
“He is a such brave horse that never lets me down and just gives me confidence.”
McDonald won the Hong Kong International Mile on Voyage Bubble last year, but has switched to Galaxy Patch this time around and won the lead-up Jockey Club Mile on him three weeks ago.
“He has always been a horse that has had a lot of potential but gets beaten. The luck never went his way,” McDonald said. “Things went right for us in the Jockey Club Mile. He got that win and he’s a different horse since.”
“Chris Waller always says that winning changes horses and riding this bloke since that win he felt different in his work and trial.”
“He’s a good horse and it might be his time now.”
One sleep to go! 💙
Can Romantic Warrior become the first horse to win the @LONGINES Hong Kong Cup for a fourth time this Sunday…!? 🏆
📍 Sha Tin, 14 Dec | #HKIR | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/c6llREt7zE
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 13, 2025
