Saudi Cup set to be Romantic Warrior’s sole dirt task

Romantic Warrior is “99 per cent certain” to return to turf after trying a dirt surface for the first time in the Saudi Cup on Saturday week.

Danny Shum’s Hong Kong-based seven-year-old has plied his trade across the globe with great success, winning 18 times, with 10 of those victories coming at Group One level to make him the world’s highest-earning racehorse.

Most recently, he was the winner of the Jebel Hatta on Meydan’s turf course in late January, breaking the track record in the process of a four-and-a-half-length victory under James McDonald.

He is due to return to the same course for the Dubai Turf at Meydan’s World Cup meeting, but first he will try his hand on a dirt surface as the world’s most lucrative race, the Saudi Cup, beckons.

“Wherever we finish in the Saudi Cup, it is 99 per cent certain he will run next in the Dubai Turf,” Shum said.

“The Dubai Racing Club have already accepted my entry for the Dubai Turf but not the Dubai World Cup yet, as we want to see how Romantic Warrior finishes the race here, but he will almost certainly go for the turf race.

“James, Peter (Lau Pak Fai, owner) and I discussed about running first on dirt in the Al Maktoum Challenge and thought that might be better.

“Peter and I had a lunch meeting and he made a very good point. He said we should run on the turf in Dubai as he could have a (bad) experience on the dirt there, and that the Dubai and Saudi dirt is different. He could win or run really well in Dubai, but that doesn’t mean he can run well in Saudi.

“So, we went to the Jebel Hatta knowing we can win easily – and we will keep the dirt a secret. Maybe he will be very good on it, or maybe he can’t handle it – but we won’t be disappointed if he loses, so long as he is happy and sound.”

McDonald is Romantic Warrior’s regular rider and shares the same relationship with the horse that Shum does – a connection the trainer hopes to enjoy for as long as possible.

“James has such confidence in the horse. When you watch James and Romantic Warrior – they are one. It is amazing to see. It’s incredible,” he said.

“I am so lucky to have him and he is so good to my stable. As a trainer, I am lucky to have a horse like him and I love him. And the horse loves me and the team.

“I want to keep him for as long as possible – not for the money but because we love each other. I love to see him and feed him carrots and he’s then so happy.”