They say that a great leader is characterized by an ability to take responsibility for failure and share credit for success.
If that is true, then judging by Danny Shum Chap-shing's press call at Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday, Romantic Warrior's trainer has leadership qualities in abundance.
Speaking less than 48 hours after his horse won his seventh straight race, a track-record-breaking win of epic proportions in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta in Dubai, Shum was giving credit to everybody but himself.
The whole plan was that of Peter Lau Pak-fai, "an amazing man," Shum said. Then Shum was deflecting praise to the team: trackwork riders Gary Lau Ka-tai and Luk Wai-hin, head lad Poon Kam-ming, physical therapist Tom Simpson and the horse's farrier Chung Tsz-kan. The Jockey Club's Greg Carpenter was mentioned, as well as the horse's mafoo Chan Chung-yin.
Even Romantic Warrior's beloved traveling companion Romantic Charm, a stablemate that is now retired after a moderate career but still part of the caravan, got some public adoration from his handler.
Shum also acknowledged the Hong Kong racing fans who had stayed up late into the night to watch his horse's history-making achievements.
But if Shum doesn't want to give himself any credit for Romantic Warrior's success, then let's do it here.
It may well be Lau's sporting vision that has given Romantic Warrior the opportunity to compile a seven-race win streak that has stretched over nearly 15 months and continued through four different jurisdictions, but Shum is the man that has delivered on an ambitious plan that could have easily been labeled too difficult.
Even on a purely logistical level, taking a horse to race in one foreign jurisdiction, let alone three, is challenging: new medication rules, quarantine protocols and unfamiliar training facilities all need to be considered.
Shum has done all of this while managing his stable at Sha Tin without compromising results at home. In fact, his second greatest achievement might be that he is leading the championship nearing the halfway mark of the season after finishing fifth last term.
Shum's attention to detail is bordering on obsessive. Nothing is left to chance. Before Romantic Warrior flew to Dubai for his latest foray, Shum had already been there before his horse, checking out the stables the horse would stay in, walking on the surfaces he would gallop on and picking up the sand and running it between his fingers to ensure it was up to standard.
Next stop for Romantic Warrior is Saudi Arabia for the world's richest race, the US$20 million (HK$156 million) Saudi Cup. Racing on dirt for the first time, Romantic Warrior will wear "grip plates," special racing shoes with a raised bar on the toe section, sometimes referred to as a toe grab, designed to help a horse gain traction.
"Grip plates" are not permitted in Hong Kong so Shum has never used them. Leaving no stone unturned, he is likely to put them on Romantic Charm first to ensure there are no unforeseen challenges applying them to his champion.
Then there is Shum's knowledge of the horse itself. A trainers' job is to minimize risk for his horse, get it fit and allow it to run as close to its best consistently over time. Despite all the logistical challenges of a campaign, the type of which had never been imagined let alone attempted, Shum has managed to prepare his horse to run at his best in a wide range of conditions against high-quality rivals.
If Romantic Warrior, who has already won more money than any racehorse in history, can triumph on dirt in the world's richest race next month then Shum could rightfully claim credit for one of the greatest training efforts of all time.
Not that he will claim that credit for himself. There is a whole team, and city, he will thank first.
