It is possible to produce something extraordinary and not win first prize. That is Romantic Warrior's predicament – and it may be the highest compliment Ka Ying Rising has ever been paid.
Ka Ying Rising went eight from eight this season, broke the 1,200-meter track record twice and smashed the 1,400-meter record for good measure. He won The Everest – the first overseas horse to do so – and his combined winning margins across those eight starts totaled more than 23 lengths. That's in sprints, where it is hardest to put daylight between yourself and quality opposition.
The debate over Horse of the Year feels forced. There is a far more interesting hypothetical: Romantic Warrior may have just had the third-best individual season in Hong Kong racing history – and he won't be Horse of the Year. Talking about it realistically doesn't rob Romantic Warrior of his greatness.
Romantic Warrior was six from six, including five Group 1s and a Group 2, and the Triple Crown – only the third horse to achieve it after River Verdon in 1994 and Voyage Bubble last year. He won from 1,600 meters to 2,400 meters. He beat a QEII Cup field Danny Shum Chap-shing called the strongest in 15 or 20 years. He did it all at age eight, returning from serious leg surgery, when many people had written him off.
Where does that rank in history? Other than Ka Ying Rising's last two unbeaten campaigns, Beauty Generation's 2018-19 was probably the benchmark: eight from eight, four Group 1s, a prizemoney record and a rating of 127. Golden Sixty's 2020-21 was magnificent: seven from seven, four Group 1s. Romantic Warrior in 2025/26 sits between them: fewer wins than either, but more Group 1s than both and the Triple Crown that neither managed.
Members of the voting panel that The Standard spoke to on Sunday insist it is not a slam dunk for Ka Ying Rising. But Romantic Warrior's predicament remains: his last two campaigns were arguably as good as, or even better than, the 2023-24 season when he actually did win Horse of the Year. That doesn't mean he should win this year – it is simply testament to just how good Ka Ying Rising is.
And it should be noted: the Triple Crown coronation was not a slam dunk. James McDonald was found guilty of careless riding in the Champions & Chater Cup after directing Romantic Warrior into Deep Monster's running line 300 meters from home. A three-meeting ban and HK$120,000 fine followed. The debate over whether the charge should have been improper riding – the stewards' own report said McDonald "directed his mount in," language that implies intent – further soured the occasion. McDonald did not front the press afterward, a disappointing decision. On a day that should have been a celebration of one of the greatest horses of all time, there was an asterisk.
The combined margins tell the wider story. Ka Ying Rising's 23-1/4 lengths across eight starts, with track records falling like dominoes. Romantic Warrior's 10-3/4 lengths across six, the final half-length extracted in controversial circumstances. One horse is rewriting the record books while being eased down, the other delivered something historic but had to fight for every inch of the last act.
Both are generational talents. But only one gets the trophy – and the other's consolation prize is one of the three greatest seasons Hong Kong racing has ever seen.
