Longines Hong Kong Vase (Group 1)

IN the week he celebrated his 80th birthday, Andre Fabre became the first trainer to win the HK$26 million Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase four times, when the Prix de l’Arc third Sosie surged to success under Maxime Guyon.

Last year’s winner, the Marco Botti-trained Giavellotto, chased Sosie all the way, with Goliath and Al Riffa also still in with chances at the furlong pole. However, Sosie was the best horse on his Prix de l’Arc running where he had Giavellotto back in fourth, and he confirmed it, staying on determinedly to the line to win by three-quarters of a length with half a length between Giavellotto and Goliath and Al Riffa a neck away in fourth.

It was the Sea The Stars colt’s third Group 1 win over a variety of distances this season, adding to wins in the Prix Ganay and the Prix d’Ispahan.

Andre Fabre had previously won the race with Borgia, Flintshire and Junko.

“Everything went perfectly,” the trainer’s wife Elisabeth Fabre said. “The race unfolded perfectly, he had a great trip and Maxime knows his horse very well.

“He is a very good horse with a wonderful mind and a lot of natural energy. He is magnificent to look at and he will stay in training next year.”

Guyon had Sosie handily placed one off the rail and two back from leaders Eydon, and then Urban Chic.

As the field fanned out turning for home, Guyon went to the front, to the outside of the fading Urban Chic, while Christophe Soumillon took the rail aboard Goliath. But Sosie was always holding all the challenges.

“Everything went very smoothly,” Maxime Guyon said, who also won the Hong Kong Vase aboard Flintshire (2014) and, in the same colours, on Junko (2023).

Hard to pass

“I followed Los Angeles for three-quarters of the race, but halfway round the home turn, Ryan’s horse began to falter. This horse can really sustain his run, and he is such a hard horse to pass.

“The horse has such a great temperament and he is so easy to put anywhere in a race.

“He is an incredible horse,” Guyon said. “This was the first time he’d travelled across continents and he looked amazing.”

Marco Botti was happy with Giavellotto, saying: “Andrea [Atzeni] said he thought the winner had first run, but he got to his girth for a second and I thought it was a good effort. The winner is a proper horse, and they’re two good horses.”

Goliath turned in arguably his best run of 2025, while Al Riffa and Los Angeles had the international challengers in the first five places.

Dylan Browne McMonagle said of Al Riffa: “He ran a super race. He wasn’t the quickest into stride from the gates, which wasn’t ideal over this trip, but he finished good.”

Romantic Warrior rewrites history

Longines Hong Kong Cup (Group 1)

THE final Group 1 of the Hong Kong International was another ‘hail the champion’ contest, as Romantic Warrior turned on the style with an unprecedented fourth straight win in the HK$40 million Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Cup.

Romantic Warrior has now won 11 Group 1s in four different jurisdictions. Rising eight, he seems as good as ever as James McDonald steered his mount a comfortable length and three-quarters ahead of Bellagio Opera.

McDonald sat just behind a steady pace set largely by Galen, who went for home as the seven runners turned into the straight. Romantic Warrior took over two out and never looked in danger from Bellagio Opera’s challenge, with Quisisana taking third.

James McDonald was almost lost for words. “He’s so special, he’s so special. He’s just a freak. I don’t know what to say… I just love him. I love him.”

Winning trainer Danny Shum said: “I’m very proud of Romantic Warrior and our stable team. He always gives me a lot of happiness, not only me but my stable, owners, my family and in Hong Kong, even racing fans or non-racing fans, they all love Romantic Warrior.

“To be honest, there was a lot of pressure. He had his surgery (when a screw was inserted in his left front leg at the end of May), but he is such a good, calm, lovely horse. He’s part of my family, I love him. My son says I love Romantic Warrior more than him!”

Romantic Warrior is likely to now be geared towards another meeting with Forever Young, who he had pushed all the way to the line in the Group 1 Saudi Cup showdown earlier this year. Shum will wait for the go-ahead from the gelding’s owner, Peter Lau. “I always say, we know he’s turning eight, but he doesn’t know he’s turning eight,” he said.

“This is amazing. He’s been in Australia, Japan, Dubai, second in the biggest prize money in the world in Saudi (Arabia). Also second in the Dubai Turf. He’s come back and had two wins.”

Dylan Browne McMonagle said of Galen, who ran well to finish fourth: “He’s a very, very tough horse. We were drawn a little bit wide and he didn’t step as well as he usually does, but I got into a nice rhythm and he was tough the whole way to the line.”

Satisfying

On summing up the day, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges, Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “For us, it is extremely satisfying to see with a population of 1,350 horses, which is 0.7% of the world’s horse population, that we have horses of this class.”

Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1)

THE five-year-old Ka Ying Rising seems to be getting even better and the world’s best sprinter stretched his consecutive winning streak to 16 with an imperious victory in the HK$28 million Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint.

The New Zealand-bred gelding secured his sixth Group 1 victory to match Golden Sixty’s feat of 16 straight wins to be now only one short of Hong Kong, China’s record of 17, held by Silent Witness.

From barrier one for the first time in his career, the Shamexpress gelding produced one of his best victories for Zac Purton, who steered the champion into the middle of the home straight in search of the best ground.

Ka Ying Rising surged away to beat Raging Blizzard by three and three-quarter lengths, being eased down by Purton over the closing stages. Purton said: “He is just in a league of his own now.”

Trainer David Hayes was relieved the five-year-old gelding didn’t let the expectations down.

“He was just superb today. The messages he was sending the week of the race suggested he’d do something like that.

“The great thing about him is that he doesn’t have to lead. Today, Zac wanted to take all of the risk out of it, so he could get off the fence and that is another string to his bow.”

Hayes said Ka Ying Rising would be again set for Hong Kong’s Speed Series and another trip to Australia for The Everest.

“Let’s just hope he is sound and well and, if he is in the form he was today, we’d love to take those Aussies on again.” There was no immediate mention of a trip to Royal Ascot.

British raider Khaadem had no luck as Oisin Murphy’s stirrup leather broke early in the race.

Longines Hong Kong Mile (Group 1)

VOYAGE Bubble proved he more than belonged on the billing for the Hong Kong International Races when he emerged the winner of the Hong Kong Mile.

Last season’s Triple Crown winner fought off the challenge of Japan’s Soul Rush and landed his second Longines Hong Kong Mile.

His hard-fought half-length victory over Soul Rush represented a repeat of last year’s result and formed part of a memorable day for Zac Purton.

“I think he just showed what type of horse he is,” Purton said. “He’s not the horse who is going to give you a ‘wow’ performance, but he’s got such a big heart that he’s always up for the fight.

“He’s in the shadow of the big two, unfortunately, but in his own right, he’s a supremely good horse. A Triple Crown winner, he’s come back today off the canvas to win.”

Voyage Bubble found a prominent position behind the trail-blazing Pray For Mir, with Docklands (finished fourth) and Copartner Prance prominent.

Soul Rush improved as the race developed and joined in around the home turn.

Soul Rush, who beat Romantic Warrior by a nose in the Group 1 Dubai Turf in April, looked to have the edge, but Voyage Bubble fought back to secure a sixth Group 1 success for trainer Ricky Yiu.

Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter proved a big disappointment, to the back throughout and finishing 12th of 14.

Reporting: Scott Burton, Tom Peacock, Maddy Playle, Daryl Timms