By Alan Carasso
With the Hong Kong International Races now nearly a month in the rear view, the focus shifts to the Triple Crown, both for the older generation and for the Classic crop, and a number of horses, including a good many from the formidable stable of John Moore, took part in a busy morning of trials Tuesday at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Just as the sun was coming up over the mountains, those who made the early trek out to the track were treated to a strong performance from former Horse of the Year Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) in the morning's first trial. Drawn gate one (i.e. furthest from the stands) for the 1000-metre heat, the hulking chestnut jumped alertly beneath Joao Moreira and attended the pace under a long hold. He drew upsides the leaders nearing the final furlong and reported home a 3/4-length winner, then strode out nicely into the backstretch (video). Most recently sixth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, Able Friend will make his next start–third off an injury-enforced absence–in the G1 Stewards' Cup Jan. 30. Stablemate Eagle Way (Aus) (More Than Ready), the 2016 G1 Queensland Derby winner who landed his Hong Kong debut impressively Dec. 11, missed the break slightly in the same trial, raced in Able Friend's slipstream and was given an easy time of it in sixth before also galloping out with good energy.
“Joao came back with…a smile from ear to ear,” Moore said of Able Friend. “That's what we wanted to see. He pulled up great, definitely improving. He's been off the scene a long time, there's a lot of muscle tone we've got to work on, but the trial was good and he'll still be a force to reckon with in the Stewards' Cup. But there's much better to come, too. We saw what Eagle Way can do first-up so it's just about keeping him ticking over.”
Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss) is the highest-rated runner headed towards the Derby on a rating of 114, courtesy of a strong 3-year-old season capped by a win over future Hong Kong Mile hero Beauty Only (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in the Lion Rock Trophy H. When last he trialled, he was effectively eased when traveling apparently uncomfortably, but the chestnut went much better Tuesday, finishing an on-pace third and working strongly around the clubhouse turn (video). A sneaky-good fifth in his seasonal debut on the International Races undercard Dec. 11, he joins Eagle Way in the Hong Kong Classic Mile Jan. 22.
“He trialled well and Joao [Moreira] was very happy with that,” Moore said. “With the setbacks, which were just nuisance stuff, he's doing well. As I've always said to the press, he's one of the cleanest-winded horses I've come across so I'm expecting him to be close in the Classic Mile. It's going to be a gun race, but I think he'll be a force to be reckoned with in that race, for sure.”
People's Knight (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), winner of two straight races, is also Classic Mile-bound after a sound third in trial nine Tuesday (video).
“Good trial from People's Knight, very good,” Moore said of the A$1-million Inglis Easter graduate. “Why not run him in the Classic Mile? He'll run at Happy Valley next Wednesday [Jan. 11] and then he should be cherry ripe for the Classic Mile.”
A three-time winner of the Classic Mile, including Able Friend in 2014, Moore has saddled four Derby winners, including Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) last year.
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