James McDonald aboard Romantic Warrior (Hong Kong Jockey Club)
Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia Press Release
James McDonald is quietly confident Romantic Warrior (IRE) can transfer his form onto dirt and will be “one hell of a horse to beat” if doing so in the USD$20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh on Saturday week.
The Sydney-based jockey has scooped a brilliant nine Group 1s on the three-time Hong Kong Cup winner, but the partnership faces a new test in Riyadh when tackling a dirt surface for the first time in competitive action.
“It is an interesting one and I probably know as much as everyone else as he is pretty untried on it,” said McDonald on the underfoot switch.
“The one thing we are grasping on is that he has trialled really well in Hong Kong on dirt. I know it is a completely different dirt, but he has gone particularly well on it and that is a little inkling that he might adapt pretty well.
“If there is one horse in the world who I think can transfer his turf form to the dirt it is Romantic Warrior, as he has an incredible heart and an incredible will to win and a great racing style as well.
“I am quietly confident he will handle it and I’m quietly confident that if he does handle it, he is going to be one hell of a horse to beat,” McDonald told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast.
Romantic Warrior has been based in Dubai since December, and on the back of his track-record win in the Jebel Hatta the Danny Shum-trained seven-year-old arrived into Saudi Arabia on Monday morning.
“He has travelled over at the same weight and left one pound of feed,” said the rider. “He has trotted up sound and all the reports are very good as the first day he normally leaves a dipper, so Danny says, so he has travelled well.”
Romantic Warrior has landed top-flight events in not just his native Hong Kong but also Japan, Australia and Dubai, and McDonald revealed the Peter Lau-owned gelding can become excited on his travels.
“He is a very enthusiastic horse but he has got an extremely good temperament. He can get over excited at times when he is a little bit above himself and we saw that in Dubai,” said the New Zealand native.
“Everyone was probably a little worried going out to that race as he was very on his toes.
“He was very fresh and it was new surroundings and that is what he was like in Japan, but in Hong Kong he is an absolute lamb.
“You can get two different types of him but he is a very gentle giant and is very good to do anything with, but when it comes to work and the races he has got the eye of a tiger and a phenomenal will to win.”
Shum has spoken this week about the relationship between Romantic Warrior and McDonald, and rider commented: “Anyone could strap themselves to this horse and be pretty successful.
“Every time I get on him I feel like he is unbeatable – he just gives you that feeling and that is incredible going to these big races like that.
“He is horse of a lifetime and has taken Danny, Peter and I to some great countries on a great ride. We are very lucky and blessed to come across him.’
And McDonald gave an ominous warning to his 13 Saudi Cup rivals, ahead of a return to Meydan Racecourse for the Dubai Turf.
“I just feel like he is getting better and better at the moment so there is no reason why he can’t be the horse to beat in Saudi, and the horse to beat back in Dubai in a month’s time,” he added.
“He is still on an upwards spiral and at the peak of his powers at the moment.”
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