Danny Shum had an ominous warning after watching his stable star Romantic Warrior work live for the first time at Werribee on Wednesday morning.
But it is not the horses the Hong Kong superstar will face in this Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes at Flemington who should be most concerned, rather those targeting the Cox Plate.
If the six-year-old is able to win this weekend’s $750,000 set-weights-and-penalties event as 59kg topweight, Shum will be extremely confident about his prospects in Australia’s premier middle-distance weight-for-age contest on October 28.
“He’s not 100 percent, I can guarantee you guys,” Shum said to a large media throng after watching Romantic Warrior canter two laps of the Werribee synthetic training track.
“He’s 85 to 90 percent (fit), but he will be improved.
“After the Turnbull Stakes, he’ll be spot on for the Cox Plate.”
Wednesday might have been the first time Shum was able to pat Romantic Warrior in almost three weeks, but he has never really felt separated from the son of Acclamation.
Technology has ensured he’s been right across every piece of work since arriving at Werribee.
“I saw him every day, even in quarantine, because while he was in Werribee we used WhatsApp,” Shum said.
“So I always watched him. Even when I watched him by myself I could feel him on my hands.”
Shum has been happy with the way Romantic Warrior has overcome the issue of not being able to transport his regular feed to Australia and even though the Cox Plate is his main Australian target, he is keen to him win on Saturday for owner Peter Lau.
The ease with which Romantic Warrior handled Ranvet Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Dubai Honour in the Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m) on April 30 was what convinced Lau to head to Australia.
“His dream is to win overseas,” Shum said of Lau.
“He checked all the races overseas – Japan, Dubai, UK, Australia – and he found that the Cox Plate is the right place to go.
“He found that Dubai Honour won two times in Australia and he can beat Dubai Honour in Hong Kong.
“He thinks the distance is his best, 2000 metres, and most importantly we have a very good jockey in James Mcdonald.”
McDonald will also be aboard for the Turnbull Stakes, in which Romantic Warrior has drawn barrier 11 in a field of 16 plus two emergencies.
Others engaged include European raider West Wind Blows (56.5kg, barrier eight), classy four-year-old Osipenko (56kg, barrier six), reigning Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip (58kg, barrier 18) and Chris Waller-trained Cups fancies Soulcombe (56kg, barrier two) and Francesco Guardi (57kg, barrier seven).