After a career to be envied, Romantic Warrior has been retired from racing at the age of eight.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced the decision on Wednesday night (AEST).

"Romantic Warrior’s 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," the club said in a public statement.

24 wins, 15 of them Group 1's, two-time Horse of the Year, world record earnings of 288,745,697 Hong Kong dollars, an absolute equine champion.

A career 76% win rate, 94% place right, consistency unequivocally defined.

James McDonald has enjoyed the ride in 20 of the champions 31 career starts, including the famous Cox Plate win, multiple Queen Elizabeth II Cups, four Hong Kong Cups and a Group 1 Jebel Hatta in Dubai.

“In human terms he would be like a captain for the All-Blacks… a Richie McCaw.” McDonald explained.

When the news broke yesterday McDonald was shocked.

“I didn’t really believe it for a start… but we obviously knew the end was closer to the start,” he said.

The Hong Kong champ will be most remembered on Australian shores for his incredible victory in the 2023 Cox Plate just beating Mr. Brightside in a short head.

“He is sort of like the trailblazer for Hong Kong horses to travel,” suggested McDonald.

“To win arguably our best race in Australia, pretty remarkable.”

McDonald suggested his greatness performance was in a race he lost in the 2025 Saudi Cup.

“One of the best performances I ever had on him," McDonald explained.

“He got more admirers out of that race than the four Hong Kong Cups.

“It is a race that will live for such a long time.”

McDonald, now that it is all said and done, can sit back and reflect on the greatness of Romantic Warrior.

“He had speed of a sprinter and the stamina of a stayer," he said.

“He was so tactically savage. He was so intelligent he was like a human… he knew when it was gametime.

“(But) then he had the softest kindest nature to him you’d ever see when he wasn’t on a racetrack.”

McDonald has enjoyed a truly special relationship with the horse and now the champion will enjoy retirement at the McDonald’s farm!

“I’ve taken my daughters to go and see him, and he would snuggle into them,” he explained.

“The girls are over the moon.”

McDonald is excited for the horse’s life after racing as his family showers the star with love, and when his girls grow up, he can say:

“This is dad’s greatest horse.”