Seven is not one of the most auspicious integers in Chinese numerology. However, the connections of Hong Kong galloper Romantic Warrior are hoping it will be lucky for them in another major event this weekend.

When Romantic Warrior’s owner, Peter Lau Pak-fai, drew seven at Thursday’s barrier draw for Sunday’s Group One Longines Hong Kong Cup (2,000m), his mind and those of trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing and rider James McDonald flashed back to last year’s edition of the city’s richest race and this year’s Cox Plate (2,040m) in Australia, also at the highest level.

Romantic Warrior announced himself on the world stage 12 months ago when he won the 2022 Hong Kong Cup by four and a half lengths after exiting gate seven and settling six lengths off pacesetting Japanese raider Panthalassa before making a mess of his rivals in Sha Tin’s home straight.

Ten and a half months later, Romantic Warrior became the first Hong Kong-based winner of Australia’s most prestigious race, the 2023 Cox Plate, when he beat the Hayes family-trained Mr Brightside by a nose after jumping from barrier seven at Moonee Valley.

Romantic Warrior is three from three when he begins from gate seven – he also won a Class Three sprint from it in December 2021 – and with most of Sunday’s Hong Kong Cup speed influences drawn to his outside, the title holder should get every opportunity to become the HK$36 million contest’s first back-to-back champion since California Memory (2011 and 2012).

From speaking with Aidan O’Brien over breakfast on Wednesday, it appears the legendary Irish handler wants his high-class runner, Luxembourg, to lead the Hong Kong Cup at a genuine tempo, so expect Ryan Moore to be positive aboard the three-time Group One winner from barrier 10 in the 11-horse field, with Champion Dragon (five), Money Catcher (eight) and Sword Point (nine) also on the scene.

Thursday’s proceedings in the Sha Tin parade ring may not have damaged Romantic Warrior’s chance of more Hong Kong International Races glory, but they hurt Golden Sixty’s shot at scoring his third Mile win.

The most recent time Golden Sixty started a race from the outside gate, the HK$148 million earner suffered the biggest losing margin of his four career defeats.

Golden Sixty contested the 2022 Group One Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000m) from barrier 10 in the 10-runner line-up, and Russian Emperor thrashed the $1.4 third placegetter by five and a half lengths.

Sunday’s Group One Hong Kong Mile speed map is ugly for Golden Sixty. Lim’s Kosciuszko (two) possesses the pace to lead. However, Dan Meagher intends to instruct Damian Lane to take a sit on Singapore’s versatile sprinter-miler, so California Spangle (three) is likely to get his own way in front unless Encountered (one), Voyage Bubble (eight), Cairo (nine) or Tribalist (13) are extremely positive.

Victor The Winner (four) is the probable front runner in this weekend’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), although Mad Cool (seven) and Jasper Krone (eight) should not be far away from the lead, while Jason Hart will have to decide whether to press forward after Highfield Princess exits nine.

Golden Sixty draws barrier 14 for Hong Kong Mile, the widest gate of his career

Hong Kong’s premier speedsters, Lucky Sweynesse and Wellington, should not have to blame bad luck after drawing Sprint gates five and three, respectively.

Barriers are not of great importance in 2,400m races at Sha Tin, although O’Brien’s three-year-old filly, Warm Heart, must become the first Group One Hong Kong Vase runner to win an edition from the inside gate if the master of Ballydoyle wants to make it four victories in the mile-and-a-half test.

Like Warm Heart in the Vase, Encountered (Mile), Beauty Eternal (Mile), Hishi Iguazu (Cup) and Prognosis (Cup) have drawn bogey barriers.