Overview
- The retirement was confirmed by owner Peter Lau and the Hong Kong Jockey Club on Wednesday after diagnostic imaging showed a change in one of Romantic Warrior’s front-leg joints that resembled last year’s fetlock problem.
- The eight-year-old will be kept under veterinary supervision at Conghua Racecourse for about three months and then transferred to a retirement home through the Jockey Club’s RESTART Racehorse Aftercare Programme.
- A public farewell for the multiple Group 1 winner will be held at a Sha Tin raceday later this season, with specific details to be announced by the club.
- Reports vary slightly on career totals: most sources cite 24 wins from 31 starts and HK$288.74 million in prize money while others record 25 wins from 33 starts and about £28 million, but all note his 15 Group 1 victories and international successes including the Cox Plate.
- The decision prioritises the horse’s welfare after veterinary assessment and follows last year’s fetlock surgery, and it removes a top contender from Hong Kong racing as the new season approaches.