Hong Kong stars reign supreme
Left: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 18: Zac Purton riding Ka Ying Rising win Race 7 The TAB Everest during Sydney Racing at Royal Randwick Racecourse on October 18, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images) Right: Romantic Warrior (IRE) ridden by James McDonald returns to the mounting yard after winning the Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse on October 28, 2023 in Moonee Ponds, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos via Getty Images)
Champions of the turf Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising took on world class fields last night in Sha Tin and blew them away.
Romantic Warrior claimed his fourth straight FWD Queen Elizabeth ll Cup, defeating the likes of up-and-coming Japanese superstar Masquerade Ball and Arc de Triomphe placegetter Sosie.
The 14-time Group 1 winner was given a peach of a ride by champion jockey James McDonald, who settled the gelding in a perfect trailing position, sitting fourth throughout the early stages.
As the field rounded the home turn, McDonald angled Romantic Warrior into the clear. By the 300m pole, the champion seized control. While Sosie and Masquerade Ball gave chase, the margin proved insurmountable.
Romantic Warrior hit the line with authority, leaving Masquerade Ball and Sosie to settle for the minor placings.
2025 Everest winner, Ka Ying rising, continued his relentless march toward legendary status, extending his winning streak to a staggering 20 races and pushing his career earnings beyond $27 million.
Stalking the pace just behind the leaders, jockey Zac Purton looked to have a mountain of horse underneath him. When asked for an effort, Ka Ying Rising breezed past his rivals with ease, pulling away to secure The Chairman’s Sprint Prize.
In a frightening display of speed, he stopped the clock at 1:07.10, setting a new track record.
Japan’s premier sprinter Satono Reve battled on for second, while the John Size-trained Raging Blizzard rounded out the placings in third.
The Champions Mile was the most competitive race of the night. Jantar Mantar of Japan came into the race as favourite, but failed to live up to the market expectation, finishing 13th of a 14 horse field.
Instead, the race became a showcase for Australian talent. The Australian-bred My Wish, trained by Mark Newnham and piloted by the legendary Hugh Bowman, stormed home to victory.
It was a dominant showing for the "Aussie contingent," as Cap Ferrat produced a massive run from the rear of the field to snatch second, while the English raider Docklands stuck on for third.
Remarkably, the first four horses across the line were all steered by Australian hoops: Hugh Bowman, Craig Williams, Mark Zahra, and James McDonald.
