Danny Shum

Former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior carved out another slice of history for himself with a gallant win in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Acclamation gelding became only the third horse to sweep the Hong Kong Triple Crown after River Verdon (1993/94) and Voyage Bubble (2024/2025) in the process. The biggest question hovering over the eventual winner in the lead up to the race was the 2400-metre distance. Although Sunday was the 31st start of his career, Romantic...

Despite facing what trainer Danny Shum described as the strongest field to go to post for the G1 FWD QEII Cup "for 15 or 20 years", it was a case of business as usual at Sha Tin on Sunday as Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) saw off a formidable international challenge to register a record-extending fourth success in the HK$30-million showpiece on FWD Champions Day. Racing in a clear fourth as last month's Hong Kong Derby second Numbers (Tivaci) led the eight-strong field to the home turn, the strong-travelling Romantic Warrior soon...

Former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior tuned up for a start in April's G1 FWD QEII Cup on Thursday. The Danny Shum trainee impressed in a 1200-metre barrier trial on the dirt at Sha Tin. Already a winner of the QEII Cup in 2022, 2023, and 2024, he ran out a one-length victor over Red Lion (Belardo) in 1:10.70 with Hugh Bowman in the irons. Shum said, "I'm very happy; he's sound and he's happy. You can see by his trial, he's very good, and James [McDonald]...

Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) barely came out of second gear as he repeated his 2024 success in the HK$13-million Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday, emulating the likes of Viva Pataca (2008 and 2009), Designs On Rome (2015 and 2016) and Golden Sixty (2021 and 2023) as a dual winner of the Group 1 prize. Trained by Danny Shum, Romantic Warrior is also now just leg away from becoming only the third horse in history to complete the Hong Kong Triple Crown after this effortless win. Racing...

HONG KONG, CHINA - Hong Kong International Races day began under gray skies and chilly temperatures, but heated up quickly with an opening performance from K-Pop legend RAIN, who brought out the sun for a legion of fans lined up outside the paddock with signs bearing his name and had even HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges bopping along to his performance. The day's expected headliners and hometown heroes Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) and Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) delivered in spades, but the quartet of international races opened with...

HONG KONG, CHINA -- There is likely never a bad time for a horse racing fan to visit Hong Kong, which conducts racing twice a week alternating between a pair of breathtakingly beautiful racetracks, but the action is extra special this week. It kicked off Wednesday night with the Longines International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley--a racetrack which fairly glitters against a backdrop of skyscrapers--and will conclude Sunday with four Group 1 races comprising the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin. Even before the jockey championship--which pitted 12...

Trainer Danny Shum will welcome G1 Irish Derby second Serious Contender to his stable once the Hong Kong season begins. Formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, the son of Wootton Bassett has two wins on his ledger and was also second in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot in June. Other horses bound for Hong Kong include Boniface Ho Ka Kui's Listed Burradon Stakes winner and G3 Hampton Court Stakes third Glittering Legend (Too Darn Hot) from the yard of James Fanshawe, former Ralph Beckett...

Danny Shum has indicated that his Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) may yet return to Riyadh for a second attempt at the Saudi Cup at the age of eight. The 10-time Group 1 winner lost out by a neck to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the $20 million contest, the pair having pulled more than 10 lengths clear of 2024 runner-up Ushba Tesoro (Jpn). "It was a great run and for the next 10 years they will be talking about what a great race The...

Trainer Danny Shum has all but ruled out a tilt at the G1 Dubai World Cup with his Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), with the G1 Dubai Turf set to be the next port of call after his appearance in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday, February 22. The three-time G1 Hong Kong Cup winner arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of what will be his debut on dirt in the Saudi Cup, after gaining the tenth Group...

It isn't that they weren't expected to perform--each was sent away at 1-10 favouritism--but reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and new sprint sensation Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) gave the Sha Tin faithful and a broader audience worldwide exactly what they wanted at Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting. Romantic Warrior, purchased by Mick Kinane for 300,000gns at the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale as a prospect for the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Hong Kong International Sale, took out the G1 Longines...

Regular rider James McDonald has issued a positive bulletin on Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) ahead of his bid for a historic third consecutive win in the HK$40 million G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday, December 8. California Memory (Highest Honor {Fr}) is the only other dual winner of the Hong Kong Cup in 2011 and 2012, which means Romantic Warrior would be out on his own as the most successful horse in the race's history should he repeat his 2022 and 2023 triumphs at the...

Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and emerging sprint star Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) laid down their markers for the Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting in three weeks' time with arrogant victories in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup and G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse, respectively. The second-named saw the 1200-metre course record, held for the last 17 years by the outstanding Sacred Kingdom (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), come tumbling down in a sublime...