TRACKSIDE WORLDWIDE

Forever Young and Ka Ying Rising Steal the Spotlight in Riyadh and Hong Kong The question of whether one of the best turf horses could debut on dirt and win the richest race in the world was answered on Saturday, February 23. Unfortunately for his backers, the answer was no, as Forever Young ran down Romantic Warrior to claim victory in the Saudi Cup.

There was immense intrigue leading into this year’s edition, and the race did not disappoint. The two clear favorites broke well and settled into their preferred positions. Despite drawing a wide gate, Forever Young managed to cross over and vie for the early lead. Meanwhile, jockey James McDonald kept Romantic Warrior off the rail to give him space and avoid the kickback from Walk of Stars, who appeared ready to challenge the favorites. However, last month’s Al Maktoum Challenge winner ultimately proved no match for the top two contenders.

As the field approached the home straight, Romantic Warrior moved five-wide into the turn and unleashed his trademark turn of foot, surging to the lead. Forever Young, however, refused to back down, and the two battled fiercely in a thrilling sprint to the finish. With the slightest of leads fading away, McDonald glanced over his shoulder, hoping to hold on in the final furlong. But it wasn’t to be—Japanese jockey Ryusei Sakai handled the pressure with composure, guiding Forever Young past Romantic Warrior to win by a head.

Romantic Warrior had never before raced on dirt in competition, whereas Forever Young is among the world’s best on the surface. That experience provided a crucial edge, yet Romantic Warrior still proved he was up to the challenge. The 10-time Group 1 winner will now return to Dubai to compete on turf at Meydan, where trainer Danny Shum hopes he will regain his winning form.

McDonald, however, wasted no time dwelling on the loss. He immediately boarded a flight to Hong Kong, where he secured his third consecutive Group 1 victory on Sunday, February 23, aboard Voyage Bubble in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup. The six-year-old is now just one race away from capturing the Triple Crown, having won The Stewards' Cup back in January. Winning this year’s Gold Cup was especially sweet for connections after finishing second to Romantic Warrior in the race last year.

Yet, the standout performance of Sunday’s card belonged to Ka Ying Rising, the world’s highest-rated sprinter. He extended his winning streak to ten by claiming the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup—without his usual jockey, Zac Purton, who was sidelined due to injury. Purton, who just last month set the all-time wins record for a jockey in Hong Kong, was recovering from an incident on Sunday, February 9, that injured four riders. Karis Teetan stepped in as his replacement and delivered flawlessly for trainer David Hayes.

It was a memorable weekend for the Hayes family, as David’s sons celebrated a Group 1 victory in Australia with Mr Brightside at Caulfield.

written by Joe Bell