Can Luxembourg overcome a 92-day break or will Romantic Warrior defend his Hong Kong Cup title?

Global heavyweights Romantic Warrior and Luxembourg go head-to-head in the £3.6 million Longines Hong Kong Cup, the signature race of a star-studded international meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Local champion Romantic Warrior landed a hugely significant win for Hong Kong in the Cox Plate at the end of October and is a short-priced favourite to post back-to-back wins in the Cup, although this year's race looks a warmer contest than 12 months ago and he faces a formidable opponent in the Aidan O'Brien-trained Luxembourg, winner of the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May and second to stablemate Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes on his last start in September.

Luxembourg will have to overcome a 92-day absence if he is to provide O'Brien with his first Hong Kong Cup win, but there could be no faulting his condition during his build-up at Sha Tin.

"The plan with him was the Irish Champion Stakes and then the British Champion Stakes, but he had a foot bruise after Leopardstown which held him up for two weeks," said O'Brien. "It was one of those bruises that didn't really come out and which went up his leg, and the lads did well to get him right.

"He's done plenty of work and we think he's fit, but it would have been nice to have had a run in between."

Luxembourg will break from stall ten in a field of 11 under Ryan Moore, while Romantic Warrior races from seven, which could be deemed as a good omen considering he won this race last year and the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley from the same stall.

Romantic Warrior: "He's got a huge task ahead of him"Credit: Edward Whitaker

"He's had to go through quarantine again and travel all the way back [from Australia], so it's going to be a huge task, and I think the field is probably a little bit stronger than last year," said Romantic Warrior's big-race rider James McDonald.

"He needed his trial about ten days ago and was a little bit stuffy having his first hard hit-out, but I've worked him again since and he's improved significantly.

"He's got a huge task ahead of him but he's a champion racehorse, wears his heart on his sleeve and gives his best every time. He'll be there when the whips start cracking."

Winning Australia's most prestigious weight-for-age contest was a watershed moment on the world stage for Hong Kong racing, although that triumph only heightens expectations from a demanding local audience.

“Now there’s even more pressure,” said trainer Danny Shum. “He’s only five going on six and I think he’s still got some improvement in him. I certainly hope so."

Prognosis, third to the mighty Equinox in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo in October, leads a three-strong Japanese challenge, while French raider Horizon Dore is expected to be better suited by conditions at Sha Tin having struggled on soft ground in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

"He's very talented and was a little bit unlucky with the ground at Ascot," said rider Mickael Barzalona. "He did too much to find his rhythm and I'm pretty sure we're going to see a different Horizon Dore."

Read more:

'His gallop on Monday was incredible' - who fancies their chances in the Hong Kong Sprint? 

'Everything looks perfect for her' - Aidan O'Brien hopeful Warm Heart can maintain European domination of Vase

Ryan Moore down to lowest riding weight in last year for Warm Heart before star mare gets date with Justify 

'Have I won? I didn't know' - Vincent Ho makes history in International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley 

Sha Tin assignment a family affair for Highfield Princess camp as their hero makes her Hong Kong bow

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