Over £2 million is the prize awaiting the winner of the world’s richest 2000m turf race on Sunday at Sha Tin ahead of the 2023 Hong Kong Cup.
Last year, favourite Romantic Warrior won comfortably for trainer Danny Shum in a course record time, and the five-year-old is back to do it all again this weekend alongside jockey James McDonald at 2.50 with bet365.
They are aiming to be the first to retain the title since California Memory in 2012.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 9th, 11:00 A.M. (GMT)
Since that victory a year ago, Romantic Warrior has run in four more Grade 1s (G1) at Sha Tin, never finishing outside the first two, before finishing fourth in the G1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in October.
But the gelding bounced back later that month to take the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
Mitsumasa Nakauchida trains Japan’s leading hope for the race, second favourite Prognosis at 4.60. The five-year-old is yet to win a G1 but came closest in his only run outside Japan, finishing second in the QEII Cup at Sha Tin in April to none other than Romantic Warrior.
Zac Purton was on board that day, but this time regular jockey Yuga Kawada will be riding.
Rousham Park 6.00 is another of Japan’s main hopes for the race, trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka.
Christophe Lemaire has often ridden the four-year-old, but Damian Lane will be on board on Sunday. Rousham Park has won on his last three outings, including a G2 at Nakayama last time out.
Best-placed to end the 12-year Hong Kong/Japan stronghold on the race is the 7.50 three-year old Horizon Dore, trained by Frenchman Patrice Cottier.
Third in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October, Horizon Dore has taken three graded victories this year, including the Prix Dollar at Longchamp in September under the stewardship of Mikael Barzalona, who will ride this weekend.
Rounding off the main chances is Aidan O’Brien’s Luxembourg, ridden by Ryan Moore, as Ireland hopes for a first win in this race for almost 20 years.
At 9.00 with the bookies, 4-year-old Luxembourg has had two G1 wins in his career so far; this year adding the Irish Gold Cup after having claimed 2022’s Irish Champion Stakes.
Never raced outside the UK and Ireland, he was most recently runner-up to Auguste Rodin as he narrowly missed out on defending the Irish Champion.
Six more runners are set to go to post for the Hong Kong Cup, with Straight Arron (21.00) the best-fancied ahead of 23.00 shots Hishi Iguazu and Sword Point. Money Catcher (61.00), Nimble Nimbus and Champion Dragon (both 71.00) are likely to be outclassed.
