The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on May 11 the nine horses scheduled to run in the Champions & Chater Cup (G1), set to take place on May 24 at Sha Tin Racecourse over 2,400 meters on turf.
Romantic Warrior (8-year-old gelding, trained by Danny Shum, sire: Acclamation) is the overwhelming favorite after securing his 14th G1 victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. The Hong Kong giant, boasting record prize money exceeding 5.4 billion yen, aims to become only the third horse in history to complete the Hong Kong Triple Crown, following River Verdon in the 1991/92 season and Voyage Bubble last year.
Two Japanese-trained horses have entered the race. Deep Monster (8-year-old horse, trained by Yasutoshi Ikee at Ritto, sire: Deep Impact), winner of the Amir Trophy in Qatar this February, will partner with jockey Joao Moreira (born in Brazil) in a new combination. Rousham Park (7-year-old horse, trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka at Miho, sire: Harbinger) teams with jockey Hugh Bowman (Australia) for the first time.
The preliminary entry list is as follows:
– Cap Ferrat
– Deep Monster
– Gentlemen’s Legacy
– Carin Generation
– Numbers
– Romantic Touch
– Romantic Warrior
– Rousham Park
– Winning Wing
