World #1 Romantic Warrior is set to reappear in Japan next month when he cut back to a mile in the prestigious Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo racecourse on June 2.
The seven-time G1 winner replaced Hong Kong compatriot Golden Sixty at the head of Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings after landing the FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin two weeks ago.
He will be joined in Japan by Voyage Bubble, who was third in the Champions Mile on the same card.
Although Romantic Warrior has raced only twice at 1,600 metres – the metric equivalent of a mile – trainer Danny Shum confirmed plans to run in the Yasuda Kinen after discussions with owner Peter Lau.
“He will go to Japan,” Shum said, speaking to the Hong Kong Jockey Club media team. “He will leave around May 21.”
Romantic Warrior completed an unprecedented hat-trick of victories in the QEII Cup under James McDonald, overcoming a difficult trip to claim the HK$28m ($3.58m/£2.85m) contest.
Having already left his mark in Australia via last year’s Cox Plate win, he will now attempt to extend his dominion to Japan in a race won by HK visitors Fairy King Prawn (2000) and Bullish Luck (2006).
On his only previous starts at a mile, Romantic Warrior won the HK Classic Mile in 2022 before finishing second, beaten a length, by Golden Sixty in the 2023 Stewards’ Cup.
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