Danny Shum's outstanding Romantic Warrior won the Yasuda Kinen race at Tokyo Racecourse, giving him elite recognition in a third nation.
The six-year-old Acclamation gelding, who was a sensation in Hong Kong, was winning his seventh Group/Grade One overall. He had also taken the Australian weight-for-age racing circuit by storm, having won the Cox Plate.
Romantic Warrior, ridden by James McDonald, took the lead more than a furlong in and managed to hold on by a nose and a half despite late assaults from Soul Rush and Namur.
“James McDonald is world-class and he gave him a great ride. He loves Romantic Warrior and Romantic Warrior loves him a lot. He always tries his best for James,” Shum said. “I wasn’t too nervous because I was confident in my horse, my team and my jockey.”
McDonald said: “He’s a champion racehorse and it’s a very proud day for all of us – the whole team – because to showcase him to Japan was something very, very special in such a prestigious race. I’m almost lost for words when I ride this horse because he’s got a big heart and he tries his best all the time. It’s such a hard jurisdiction to race in. There’s such good horses and great jockeys so it’s an absolute privilege to be here and to be winning such a prestigious race is very, very special.”
“I think the best thing for the horse is to give him a break and let him rest. He’s not going to race anymore this season,” Shum said.