CONSIDER it ‘The Battle of the Giants’ part two at Sha Tin on Sunday morning when two of the biggest stars in the sport, Golden Sixty and Romantic Warrior, lock horns again in the £1.2m Group One Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (8.05am) over 10 furlongs.
The legendary galloper Golden Sixty, a winner of 23 of his 27 starts, will seek to beat the heir-apparent to his throne, Romantic Warrior, once again, after they clashed in the race of the decade; The Group One Stewards’ Cup over a mile at the end of last month.
The people’s champion, Golden Sixty, proved too strong for Romantic Warrior on that occasion, out-sprinting his rival in the latter stages of the contest.
This is a different test however, with Sunday’s race over 10 furlongs swinging the pendulum in favour of Danny Shum’s galloper.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR is unbeaten in four races over this course and distance, including spectacular wins in the Group One Longines Hong Kong Cup in December, and Group One FWD QEII last season, and is rated in the world’s top 10 best racehorses on those performances.
Golden Sixty is no mug himself over the distance, winning two from three over the trip, including the Hong Kong Derby, and was triumphant in this corresponding race in 2021.
The race should be run at a consistent gallop, with Money Catcher, or maybe Ka Ying Star, dictating the tempo.
That’s good news for Karis Teetan’s mount Romantic Warrior, who is a relentless galloper and was only caught out last start when California Spangle quickened the pace appreciably before the home turn and caught him flat-footed.
Make no mistake, Golden Sixty, cheered on by his many thousands of supporters will never go down without a fight– it will be interesting to see who is favourite for the contest – but Romantic Warrior can prove too strong in the closing stages.
POINTERS
Romantic Warrior 8.05am Sha Tin
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