Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup
Hong Kong | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the middle distance horses at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup is run over 2000m. It was first run in 1979 over 1800m.
It is the second leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown following the Stewards' Cup and leading into the Champions & Chater Cup.
John Moore has an incredible record winning 11 editions overall.
Australasian jockeys have had a real trot in the last two decades winning via the likes of James McDonald, Blake Shinn, Hugh Bowman, Tommy Berry, Zac Purton, Darren Beadman and Shane Dye.
Time Warp won the race in 2018 and regained the title in 2020.
Golden Sixty took his record to 16 wins from 17 starts when he just got home in the 2021 running. He failed as a short favourite in 2022 but then won the title back in 2023 in a great race against Romantic Warrior.
That 2022 winner Russian Emperor is the son of former champion Australian mare Atlantic Jewel. The winner was trained by Douglas Whyte who also won the race multiple times as a jockey.
Romantic Warrior came back after his 2023 defeat and kept his great 2000m form going in a tremendous battle with Voyage Bubble. He won again in 2026.
Voyage Bubble would get his win in 2025 making in three straight G1s as James McDonald arrived back in time after the great Saudi Cup effort with Romantic Warrior.
The Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup was worth HK$13m in 2026.
Some notable winners of the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup include Voyage Bubble (2025), Romantic Warrior (2024/2026), Golden Sixty (2021/2023), Exultant (2019), Time Warp (2018/2020), Werther (2017), Designs On Rome (2015/2016), Military Attack (2013/2014), Ambitious Dragon (2012), California Memory (2011), Viva Pataca (2008/2009), Vengeance Of Rain (2007), Bullish Luck (2004) and Indigenous (1998/1999).
The 2026 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup was won by Romantic Warrior from Ensued and Winning Wing.
Previous Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
ROMANTIC WARRIOR
(IRE)
8G ACCLAMATION (GB) - FOLK MELODY (IRE) STREET CRY (IRE) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 57.0 | C S SHUM | 4 |
|
|
VOYAGE BUBBLE
(AUS)
6G DEEP FIELD (AUS) - RAHEIGHTS (AUS) RAHY (USA) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 57.0 | P F YIU | 1 |
|
|
ROMANTIC WARRIOR
(IRE)
6G ACCLAMATION (GB) - FOLK MELODY (IRE) STREET CRY (IRE) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 57.0 | C S SHUM | 11 |
|
|
GOLDEN SIXTY
(AUS)
7G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) |
C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 4 |
|
|
RUSSIAN EMPEROR
(IRE)
5G GALILEO (IRE) - ATLANTIC JEWEL (AUS) FASTNET ROCK (AUS) |
B SHINN | 57.0 | D WHYTE | 9 |
|
|
GOLDEN SIXTY
(AUS)
5G MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - GAUDEAMUS (USA) DISTORTED HUMOR (USA) |
C Y HO | 57.0 | K W LUI | 4 |
|
|
TIME WARP
(GB)
7G ARCHIPENKO (USA) - HERE TO ETERNITY (USA) STORMY ATLANTIC (USA) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 8 |
|
|
EXULTANT
(IRE)
5G TEOFILO (IRE) - CONTRARY (IRE) MARK OF ESTEEM (IRE) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 9 |
|
|
TIME WARP
(GB)
5H ARCHIPENKO (USA) - HERE TO ETERNITY (USA) STORMY ATLANTIC (USA) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 7 |
|
|
WERTHER
(NZ)
5G TAVISTOCK (NZ) - BAGALOLLIES (AUS) ZABEEL (NZ) |
HUGH BOWMAN | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 4 |
|
|
DESIGNS ON ROME
(IRE)
6G HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) - SUMMER TRYSTING (USA) ALLEGED (USA) |
TOMMY BERRY | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 5 |
|
|
DESIGNS ON ROME
(IRE)
5G HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR (IRE) - SUMMER TRYSTING (USA) ALLEGED (USA) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 3 |
|
|
MILITARY ATTACK
(IRE)
6G ORATORIO (IRE) - ALMAASEH (IRE) DANCING BRAVE (USA) |
JOAO MOREIRA | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 2 |
|
|
MILITARY ATTACK
(IRE)
5G ORATORIO (IRE) - ALMAASEH (IRE) DANCING BRAVE (USA) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | JOHN MOORE | 1 |
|
|
AMBITIOUS DRAGON
(NZ)
5G PINS (AUS) - GOLDEN GAMBLE (NZ) OREGON (USA) |
D WHYTE | 57.0 | A T MILLARD | 6 |
|
|
CALIFORNIA MEMORY
(USA)
5G HIGHEST HONOR (FR) - KALPITA (USA) SPINNING WORLD (USA) |
MATTHEW CHADWICK | 57.0 | A S CRUZ | 12 |
|
|
COLLECTION
(IRE)
5G PEINTRE CELEBRE (USA) - LASTING CHANCE (USA) AMERICAN CHANCE (USA) |
D BEADMAN | 58.0 | JOHN MOORE | 5 |
Related News
James McDonald has hailed Romantic Warrior as “bullet proof” after the evergreen champion swept to a fourth victory in the HK$30 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (26 April) to reaffirm his standing as one of the world’s premier middle-distance stars.
Danny Shum believes Romantic Warrior will have to beat the strongest HK$30 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) field in two decades if he is to become a four-time winner of the race at Sha Tin on Sunday (26 April).
Champion jockey James McDonald has conceded Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior will be confronted by one of the toughest tests of his celebrated career in the $HK30 million QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Trainer Ricky Yiu credits much of Voyage Bubble’s incredible success to his supreme intelligence as last season’s Triple Crown hero chases a seventh Group 1 win in the HK$24 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on FWD Champions Day (Sunday, 26 April) at Sha Tin.
