Romantic Warrior wins the QEII Cup at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse in 2023, one of the horse's record four wins in the Group 1 feature

Hong Kong (AFP) - Romantic Warrior, the Hong Kong star racehorse who won a world record HK$288.74 million (US$29 million) in prize money, was retired on Wednesday after sustaining a leg injury in training last week.

Owner Peter Lau said he had decided to end the eight-year-old’s storied racing career after consulting Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) veterinarians.

Scans revealed “a change in one of the horse’s joints” similar to last year when Romantic Warrior had surgery on a fetlock, he said.

“Connections, in consultation with the club’s veterinarians, have decided to retire Romantic Warrior from racing following further detailed diagnostic imaging and assessment of his front leg at the club’s state-of-the-art veterinary hospital,” an HKJC statement said.

“Romantic Warrior will spend the next three months at Conghua Racecourse (outside the neighbouring Chinese city of Shenzhen) under the continued monitoring of the club’s veterinarians before being transitioned to his retirement home.

“The club will arrange a farewell ceremony for Romantic Warrior at a Sha Tin raceday later this season.”

The news comes just days before the start of Hong Kong’s racing season on Sunday at Sha Tin.

Romantic Warrior extended his unrivalled record as the world’s highest earning racehorse with six wins out of six last season including a triumph in the prestigious Group 1 QEII Cup for an unprecedented fourth time in April.

The Danny Shum-trained superstar won 24 for his 31 starts, including 15 Group 1 races.

Three of his Group 1 wins came on foreign soil – in Australia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.