The title “Horse of the Year” is familiar to every racing fan, but just how outstanding must a racehorse be to claim Hong Kong racing’s highest honour?
A Horse of the Year is not necessarily the horse with the most wins during the season, nor must it be the dominant performer over only one distance. In addition to producing major results, a horse must prove itself at the highest level and, in some cases, achieve something significant enough to define an era.
The 2025/26 season produced the most unusual answer yet. Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior, whose achievements came in very different forms, were jointly crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year. It was the first time in Hong Kong racing history that two horses had shared the title.
Hong Kong has a long racing history, and outstanding horses were widely recognised by racing fans even before a formal Horse of the Year award was established.
During the 1950s and 1960s, horses remembered locally by names such as SKYMASTER and FIREFLY were regarded as champion-class performers. In the early 1970s, SUPER WIN, MONEY TALKS also became icons of their generation.
At that time, Hong Kong racing did not have today’s international ratings, distance-based championship categories or established annual awards ceremony. A horse’s status was largely determined by popular recognition among racing fans and journalists, based on its dominance on the track, winning streaks and public appeal. In other words, the concept of a Horse of the Year already existed, but there was not yet a formal system for selecting the most representative horse of each season.
Hong Kong racing became professional on 1 October 1971, and the Horse of the Year award gradually became more structured.
In May 1978, the Association of Hong Kong Racing Journalists began organising the annual election with title sponsorship from Marlboro. The award was presented under the name “Marlboro Hong Kong Horse of the Year”. Professional racing journalists in Hong Kong were eligible to participate, with the selection based mainly on a horse’s performances during that season.
From 1999, the Horse of the Year election was jointly organised by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Association of Hong Kong Racing Journalists. It gradually developed into the most prestigious honour presented at the Hong Kong Champion Awards.
Under the current system, the judging panel assesses performances across the entire season and selects the Champion Sprinter, Champion Miler, Champion Middle-Distance Horse and Champion Stayer. The Horse of the Year is then elected from the winners of the respective championship categories. A horse is therefore not judged simply by its number of victories. The quality of the races it has won, the strength of its opponents, the distances over which it has performed, its overseas results, consistency and record-breaking achievements are all important considerations.
The 2025/26 Horse of the Year contest was particularly special because Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior represented two completely different forms of excellence.
Ka Ying Rising embodied exceptional speed and almost unbeatable consistency. He won all eight of his starts during the season, captured five Group 1 races and extended his unbeaten sequence to 20 consecutive victories. He was also crowned Champion Sprinter for the second successive season.
In addition to setting a new record for consecutive wins by a Hong Kong-trained horse, Ka Ying Rising established an extraordinary level of dominance in the sprinting ranks. From 1200m to 1400m, he repeatedly defeated both local and international opposition with his high cruising speed and powerful acceleration.
Romantic Warrior displayed a different type of greatness. His achievements were not limited to one or two major races. Instead, he maintained an elite level of performance across several distances.
During the 2025/26 season, Romantic Warrior was named Champion Miler, Champion Middle-Distance Horse and Champion Stayer, underlining his remarkable versatility. He also completed Hong Kong’s Triple Crown by winning the Stewards’ Cup over 1600m, the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup over 2000m and the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over 2400m.
Romantic Warrior was therefore more than a champion middle-distance horse. He was a complete racehorse capable of adapting his racing style to different distances, opponents and tactical situations.
One created history through speed, an extraordinary winning streak and complete dominance of the sprint division. The other built his legacy through versatility, elite-level victories and sustained excellence across distances.
Their achievements were difficult to compare directly. The judging panel’s decision to crown Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior jointly as Hong Kong Horse of the Year was therefore the most fitting conclusion to an exceptional season.