‘We want him back’: The personal note that could deliver a Cox Plate showdown

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Moonee Valley has hand-delivered an invitation to the Hong Kong connections of Romantic Warrior successful a bid to coax the radical 1 prima backmost to Melbourne to support his Cox Plate crown.

The Valley’s caput of racing Charlotte Mills met with Romantic Warrior’s proprietor Peter Lau and trainer Danny Shum during the Champions Day contention gathering astatine Sha Tin past month.

James McDonald aft winning the 2023 Cox Plate astatine Moonee Valley connected Romantic Warrior.

If Lau and Shum hold to instrumentality to Australian shores with their seven-time radical 1 winner, it would acceptable up a mouth-watering weight-for-age rubric combat with the caller queen of the Australian turf Pride Of Jenni.

Adding spice to the imaginable showdown would beryllium the inclusion of Chris Waller’s highly rated import Via Sistina, a erstwhile UK galloper that finished 2nd to front-running wonderment mare Pride Of Jenni successful past month’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes astatine Randwick.

Jockey James McDonald won his 2nd Cox Plate past twelvemonth connected Hong Kong raider Romantic Warrior erstwhile they bushed location the gallant Mr Brightside by a nose.

McDonald and Romantic Warrior person since won 3 2000-metre radical 1 races successful Hong Kong, including their 3rd QE II Cup astatine Sha Tin past month.

“We’d emotion to spot the Cox Plate victor travel backmost and support their title,” Moonee Valley CEO Michael Browell told this masthead.

“But we are besides starting to prosecute different cardinal planetary runners, to spot if we tin get them.”

One planetary precocious connected the Valley’s ticker database is Japanese runner Prognosis, a middle-distance prima who ran 2nd to Romantic Warrior successful the QE II Cup.

Three internationals person won the Cox Plate successful the past 10 years – Joseph O’Brien’s State Of Rest successful 2021, Japanese mare Lys Gracieux successful 2019 and Aidan O’Brien’s Adelaide successful 2014.

Hong Kong trainer Danny Shum raises a fist to observe Romantic Warrior’s Cox Plate win.

If six-year-old Romantic Warrior were to instrumentality successful October, it would make an agonising prime for McDonald, a regular rider for Chris Waller who besides partnered Via Sistina during the Sydney autumn carnival.

He and respective jockeys were caught napping by Pride Of Jenni’s freewheeling tactics successful the Queen Elizabeth and would beryllium seeking a rematch.

“I would caution to accidental they would fto her get 30 lengths successful beforehand of them astir Moonee Valley,” Browell said.

McDonald has ridden Romantic Warrior successful six of his 7 radical 1 victories and is readying to spouse the Hong Kong equine successful Japan’s radical 1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) successful June.

“Yes [I’ll beryllium going to Japan], it volition beryllium my 2nd clip there,” McDonald told the South China Morning Post past month.

McDonald, who archetypal rode Romantic Warrior successful November 2022, was successful awe of the gelding aft they won their 3rd consecutive QEII Cup astatine Sha Tin past month.

“He was beaten astatine the 600m, helium conscionable finds a way. It’s incredible,” helium said.

“I deadset didn’t person 1 happening spell my way. I had 10 riders deadset against maine and the horse. I conscionable had nary favours.

“At the 600m, helium was disconnected the bridle and struggling successful the crushed a tad, and helium conscionable picks up. I’m conscionable successful disbelief.”

Shum and Lau are inactive mapping retired Romantic Warrior’s calendar twelvemonth beyond a travel to Japan.