Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior has been acclaimed as one of the world’s elite horses, ranking joint fifth in the 2024 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR) while Ka Ying Rising has been recognised as the world’s joint best sprinter.
Romantic Warrior, the world’s highest-earning racehorse in history with record prize money of HK$177.32 million, is among 12 Hong Kong-trained horses to achieve an international rating of 115 or higher in the LONGINES WBRR, released by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) on Tuesday, 21 January.
The winner of nine Group 1 races, in three separate countries and regions, Romantic Warrior achieved a career-high international mark of 125 in 2024 to rank equal fifth with Calandagan, Do Deuce, Fierceness and Sierra Leone behind City Of Troy and Laurel River (both 128), Via Sistina (127) and Goliath (126).
Romantic Warrior was unbeaten in five races during the designated ratings period – from January, 2024 until the end of December, 2024 – snaring four Group 1s and a Group 2 for owner Peter Lau, trainer Danny Shum and jockey James McDonald.
With Group 1 victories in the 2024 HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and 2024 HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), 2024 HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and Japan’s G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in Tokyo, Romantic Warrior is now among the very best horses in the world.
A year after Lucky Sweynesse was acclaimed the world’s leading sprinter on a mark of 125, David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising shares the 2024 sprint mantle with American speedster Cogburn and Australia’s I Wish I Win on 121.
Having lowered Sacred Kingdom’s 1200m Sha Tin record set in 2007 to 1m 07.43s last November, Ka Ying Rising followed record-breaking success with a first elite level victory in December’s HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising’s effort to achieve a mark of 115 or higher was matched by follow Hong Kong-trained gallopers Voyage Bubble (120), California Spangle (119), Straight Arron (118), Beauty Eternal (117), Lucky Sweynesse (117), Beauty Joy (116), Galaxy Patch (116), Victor The Winner (116), Helios Express (115) and Invincible Sage (115).
Chief Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, said: “Hong Kong racing has once again performed incredibly with the accomplishments of our elite horses, particularly when it is considered we have about 1,200 horses in training – or about 0.7% of the world’s active thoroughbred population.
“The achievements of Romantic Warrior, in particular, fill Hong Kong with pride and his efforts to win Group 1s in three separate racing jurisdictions, including his Yasuda Kinen triumph against the very best of Japanese milers, is simply outstanding and he is a tremendous credit to Peter, Danny and James.
“The emergence of Ka Ying Rising under David Hayes and Zac Purton for the Ka Ying Syndicate has been a wonderful success. Starting out as an unraced import, Ka Ying Rising has surged through Hong Kong’s always competitive sprint ranks to stand as our premier sprinter with his incredible performances, including the setting of a new Sha Tin course record for 1200m, to now be acknowledged as one of the world’s premier sprinters.”
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, City Of Troy raced five times during the designated ratings period, winning the G1 Epsom Derby (2405m), G1 Eclipse Stakes (1990m) and G1 International Stakes (2051m) before retiring after finishing eighth in the G1 LONGINES Breeders’ Cup Classic (2000m, dirt).
Laurel River’s sole Group 1 appearance in 2024 yielded a record eight and a half-length victory in the Dubai World Cup (2000m, dirt) at Meydan for the United Arab Emirates based combination of trainer Bhupat Seemar and jockey Tadhg O’Shea.
World’s Top 100 Group 1 Races
Eight of Hong Kong’s elite races have been included in the 2024 LONGINES World’s Top 100 Group 1 races. The 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, won by Romantic Warrior with Japanese star Liberty Island second and Tastiera third, returned a figure 119.5.
Remarkably, Romantic Warrior won all three of Hong Kong’s top-ranked races – the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and FWD QEII Cup. The LONGINES Hong Kong Cup rated joint 26th in the ranking.
Hong Kong’s tally of eight places it sixth overall behind Australia, Great Britain, Japan, the United States and France but ahead of Germany, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
Each accredited Group 1 is ranked based on the average rating of the first-four finishers from that year’s race, as determined by the panel of international handicappers.
Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “With eight of our 12 Group 1 races in the World’s Top 100 G1 races, the enduring quality of Hong Kong’s racing has again demonstrated. The 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup featured five international Group 1 winners and produced an extraordinary contest. It was an incredible contest, which was brilliantly won by Romantic Warrior from Japanese Group 1 winners Liberty Island and Tastiera.
“Fittingly for our flagship December meeting, all four Group 1 races at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races – the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and LONGINES Hong Kong Vase – are all ranked in the World’s Top Group 1 Races for 2024.
“Personally, I regard the meeting as one of the best LONGINES HKIR’s we have ever staged. International competition is an abiding priority for the Club and, along with our world-class domestic racing, we are delighted with what Hong Kong racing continues to deliver on the world stage.
“The 2024 figures for both the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings and World’s Top 100 Group 1 Races underscores the tremendous work undertaken by the Club along with the significant ongoing investments it makes in facilities and personnel to maintain our position as a world leader of racing.
“I also acknowledge the substantial efforts of our loyal owners in securing the best available equine talent to race in Hong Kong, which keeps our racing at the forefront of international competition.”
Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Andrew Harding, said: “International racing continues to showcase the very best of Hong Kong. The 2024 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races were a triumph for the Club and our owners and it was also historic with the staging of the meeting under the World Pool banner for the first time.
“With more than 20 overseas contenders across the four Group 1 races, the meeting was broadcast live into 29 countries and regions and, with an overall attendance of more than 80,000 – the largest LONGINES HKIR attendance since 2018 – it was truly an international success.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of local and international owners, trainers and jockeys. Similarly, FWD Champions Day also displays the strength and quality of Hong Kong racing.
“Domestically, the ongoing support of our owners is crucial and, from this viewpoint, the 2024 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings and World’s Top 100 Group 1 races amply reflect the outstanding quality of Hong Kong racing.”
