Yuga Kawada hopeful ‘different kind of greatness’ can lift Liberty Island in Cup clash with Romantic Warrior

By Scott Burton and Mariko Seki
Japanese superstar Yuga Kawada and trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida find themselves in the familiar role of attempting to spoil the party in Sunday’s HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), with Liberty Island viewed by many observers as the main danger to Romantic Warrior’s hat-trick bid.

A year ago, the same combination attempted to topple Peter Lau and Danny Shum’s icon with Prognosis, who flew wide and late to be fifth, beaten only a length.

Prognosis got substantially closer to Romantic Warrior in April when going down by a neck in the G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), and Kawada is hopeful Liberty Island brings even better credentials.

Sunday Racing’s daughter of Duramente blazed a trail through her two-year-old and three-year-old seasons, winning the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on just her third start, before becoming the seventh filly to sweep Japan’s Triple Tiara of Classics, the Oka Sho (G1, 1600m), Yushun Himba (G1, 2400m) and Shuka Sho (G1, 2000m).

She further enhanced her reputation when finishing best of the rest behind Equinox in the 2023 Japan Cup (G1, 2400m) to end the year with an international rating of 121, making her the best three-year-old filly in the world.

2024 has not proved quite such plain sailing, though Liberty Island emerged with plenty of credit when third to Rebel’s Romance in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) as the only horse to make significant ground from off the pace.

Plans from then on were disrupted in May, when Liberty Island showed signs of minor inflammation in a sesamoid ligament, meaning Nakauchida has been required to improvise in terms of the run-in to the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

After a seven-month absence she reappeared in the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) and was sent off the heavily favoured market leader at 2.3, only to trail home 13th of 15 behind Do Deuce and another of Sunday’s LONGINES Hong Kong Cup rivals, Tastiera.

Nakauchida said: “After such an absence Liberty Island might have lacked slightly for fitness but she came out of the race in good shape.

“We had originally planned to go on to the Japan Cup but the gap is four weeks, and we wanted to make sure she had enough time to recover and then be fully prepared. That’s why we decided to come to Hong Kong.”

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s turf breeze at Sha Tin, Kawada said: “Liberty Island was in good shape in the Tenno Sho but she is the type of filly who needs a ‘prep’ race ahead of the main target. That is why we are coming here now because we feel she is at the very top of her game.”

Kawada has huge admiration for Romantic Warrior and does not underestimate the task he faces on Liberty Island.

But the 39-year-old believes he has gained valuable insight from his two previous cracks at Hong Kong’s reigning champion.

“I personally think Liberty Island has a big chance, she is a filly with a huge amount of quality,” said Kawada. “I’ve ridden against Romantic Warrior a couple of times on Prognosis and I am very confident with how she measures up to Hong Kong’s greatest hero.”

If Romantic Warrior is James McDonald’s horse of a lifetime, then Kawada might point to Loves Only You as his signature association up until now - certainly on the international scene - having secured Japan’s first ever Breeders’ Cup success at Del Mar in 2021 and followed that historic victory up with the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup the following month and the FWD QEII Cup the following spring.

Asked to compare his two leading ladies, Kawada said: “They are two very good horses. Loves Only You was a great filly, but Liberty Island has a different type of greatness. She has had a great preparation and we are coming into this race with confidence.”

Kawada certainly got a sweet tune out of Liberty Island at the end of her breeze on Wednesday and notice has been served that Romantic Warrior will need to bring his A game on Sunday.