Russian Emperor upstaged red-hot favourite Romantic Warrior to snare back-to-back victories in the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
With the third Group One success of his career, Douglas Whyte’s Russian Emperor joined the likes of River Verdon, Viva Pataca, Blazing Speed and Exultant as a multiple winner of the final Group One of the season.
“He’s a superstar of my stable and he’s certainly given me one hell of a ride since he’s joined me. We’ve had our ups and downs, but there’s been a lot more ups than downs,” Whyte said of a galloper who also secured a Qatar Group One, the H.H. The Amir Trophy (2,400m), earlier this season.
“To travel with him and win in Doha, and come back now to repeat that effort on a firm track. You’ve just got to give it all to the horse.”
With Zac Purton making the unexpected decision to take up the lead from gate eight on $1.2 chance Romantic Warrior – who had never led before and was stepping up to 2,400m for the first time after a trio of Group One wins at 2,000m – Hugh Bowman settled $9.35 third elect Russian Emperor in midfield.
While Purton was able to dictate proceedings at a speed a couple of lengths outside standard for the first half of the race, Derek Leung Ka-chun aboard the expected leader Money Catcher increased the pressure on Romantic Warrior from about the 900m.
While Romantic Warrior brushed Money Catcher off in the straight, Bowman timed his run to perfection and Russian Emperor’s superior staying qualities saw him prevail by a neck in a ding-dong finish.
“I’m very proud of him, he’s a back-to-back winner now and if there was a chink in the armour of the favourite – and we all know how good he is – I’ve been around long enough to know it’s a big step up from 2,000m to 2,400m,” Bowman said.
“I’ve ridden some really great horses in my time who haven’t been able to take the step to 2,400m.
“I didn’t have a plan, [Russian Emperor is] a mile and a half horse, and the one trap I didn’t fall into was to be out there to beat Romantic Warrior because he’s a class horse. It was a test for him in itself going to a mile and a half, and I had to trust it’d find him out, and that’s exactly what happened.
“Douglas prepared him superbly. He’s had a wonderful season, the horse, as has Douglas, and he was just there as the right horse on the right day.”
Russian Emperor’s victory was Bowman’s first Group One success in Hong Kong since he won the 2017 Champions & Chater Cup aboard Werther.
“It means a great deal, and now being based here in Hong Kong, to win a race at the highest level – even though I’ve done it before – it really does feel great,” Bowman said.
“To have my family here – although they’re not on course today – I’m looking forward to getting home to see them.”
Whyte heaped praise on Bowman for his winning ride, as well as those who put in the work behind the scenes to ensure Russian Emperor was ready for his giant-killing performance.
“He’s a great jockey to have on a horse, especially in a big race like that. He makes a difference. They were getting cheap sectionals early. The favourite looked like he was just ambling along and dictating affairs,” Whyte said.
“Hugh sussed that out and got rolling at the right time. He dug down deep and prevailed. It was a well-executed ride – a very heady ride. He put him to sleep and let things unfold and took advantage of that at the end.
“It’s certainly one of the better performances he’s done, and one of the highlights of my career. But I don’t stop there. There’s the vets, there’s the farriers – there’s a whole bunch of people I should be thanking because they’re the ones that do the day-to-day work to get this horse to the races, and I take the glory, and so does the jockey.”
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