'Hopefully we can find a few more like him' - Romantic Warrior impresses Kinane

Among those watching on impressed by Romantic Warrior’s mesmerising performance in Sunday’s Longines Hong Kong Cup was a man who has ridden one or two good ones in his time.

Mick Kinane has been active at the sales finding horses for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and had bought the Acclamation gelding from Corduff Stud for 300,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2019.

Moved on for HK$4.8 million (£503,000/€585,000) at the Hong Kong International Sale in June last year, Romantic Warrior has won nine of ten starts for trainer Danny Shum, including the domestic Derby and QEII Cup.

"I was more nervous then than when I was was riding - it was out of my hands," said the decorated rider after watching Romantic Warrior fly four and a half lengths clear of Japanese runner Danon The Kid.

"He’s just become a phenomenal horse, what he’s done in 13 months has been just incredible, he started racing through a Class 4 and this was his first real international race, it was a good field and he just spreadeagled them."

Mick Kinane: 'He’s just become a phenomenal horse.'Credit: Laura Green

Kinane revealed that he had to use some sleight of hand to secure the third foal of winning Street Cry mare Folk Melody from Park Paddocks in the first place.

"I did everything to buy him," he said. "I remember at the time I knew Angus Gold would be my biggest competitor, he was always on the same type of horses that I’m on. My worry was when he got Sheikh Hamdan, God rest his soul, on the phone, he wouldn’t stop.

"So I left my daughter Aisling and son-in-law Mark Gittins; my daughter had a hat on, earphones in and I hid in the stairs. Angus was looking around, the next thing, [knocked down to] HKJC, he came down to Aisling and said, 'You got me'. I was lucky to buy him and the horse has been lucky since, to think he could do this is unbelievable."

Kinane added: "We bought another batch to come in May, I was at Kempton last week with the next one, I think we have a nice batch for the next sale.

"The first runner from the last sale was a good first-time winner here and things are progressing well. Hopefully, we can find a few more like him!"

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