The Hong Kong racing season is well into its final quarter, and while there’s plenty on the line between now and the concluding meeting on 15 July, it’s the mouthwatering battle for the trainers’ championship that continues to take centre stage.

Half a dozen trainers are still in with a legitimate chance of prevailing with 15 meetings remaining in the 2025/26 season, and while four of them have tasted the ultimate success, Danny Shum is one handler looking to claim the title for the first time.

Shum has landed 54 winners through the campaign’s 73 meetings, with the trainer vaulting to the top of the table thanks to a treble at Happy Valley last week.

He leads Caspar Fownes (53 wins) by one, with Mark Newnham (52), Francis Lui (50), David Hayes (48) and John Size (46) pushing hard.

While Romantic Warrior has taken Shum around the world and provided him with some of his biggest career highlights with Group 1 victories in Australia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates, the 65-year-old believes the fact the champion galloper has stayed put in Hong Kong this season has played a part in his scintillating season.

“Because I haven’t needed to go overseas this year, I have been able to concentrate fully on my stable and my staff are all doing a good job,” he said.

“Because Romantic Warrior has just raced in Hong Kong, I haven’t needed to go out of Hong Kong and I haven’t needed to send any staff out either, so the manpower in Sha Tin and also in Conghua is very good. Everything is running very efficiently.”

While Shum has experienced the highest of highs with Romantic Warrior, and also has a Royal Ascot victory to his name thanks to Little Bridge, he is clear about where a trainers’ title would fit on his CV.

“Of course (it would be my crowning achievement). Everyone wants to win a championship,” he said, adding that between now and the end of the season he’ll be trusting the processes that have carried him this far.

“I’m trying to operate as normally as possible – I won’t be doing anything crazy. I will just try my best and look after my horses. My horses’ and my owners’ interests are my first priority and if I win, I am happy, but if I lose, I don’t mind because I have tried my best.”

Shum has gained some serious momentum with five winners in May so far and the veteran is confident there is more to come from his gallopers.

“I think my stable is not badly placed. Last Monday in Conghua, I had three trial winners, so I think my horses are going well, and if they stay in good health, I hope they can get some results for me,” he said.

Looking ahead, Shum has massive 11 runners at Sha Tin this Sunday, including Romantic Warrior and Romantic Thor in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) and last-start winners Packing King and Without Compare on the undercard.