Ready, Willing and Most ‘Able’ in Jockey Club Mile
An A$550,000 Inglis Easter yearling purchase, Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) has always shouldered high expectations, and his trainer John Moore has long proclaimed that he had the makings of a champion. The strapping gelding did very little to tarnish that reputation with a demolition of the field in the G2 Jockey Club Mile, a performance which makes him the clear odds-on favorite for the G1 Hong Kong Mile Dec. 14.
After defeating Designs on Rome in the Hong Kong Classic Mile last January, Able Friend was forced to settle for second to that one in the Classic Cup (1800 meters) and in the 2000-meter Hong Kong Derby, but cut back to arguably his best distance to easily annex the Chairman’s Trophy as a prohibitive favorite Apr. 6. Runner-up to Variety Club (SAf) (Var) in the G1 Champions Mile, Able Friend weighed in at a massive 1315 pounds for his first-up run in the Premier Bowl H. Oct. 26, but, force to carry top weight, his late rally petered out when a length fourth to Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}). He was expected to have come on for that run, shed some weight in the interim and proved far too good for some classy milers.
Able Friend jumped well for Joao Moreira and settled in fifth position as rank outsider Lord Sinclair (Mizzen Mast) worked to the front ahead of Secret Sham (Aus) (Shamardal). Douglas Whyte had last year’s Hong Kong Mile runner-upGold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie Dei Colori {GB}) perfectly placed in third, while Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins {Aus}), winner of the international event in 2012, was snugly inside of Able Friend. Secret Sham was first to come after Lord Sinclair and led for a fleeting second entering the final furlong and a half, but Able Friend cruised effortlessly towards the front four away from the fence, hit the lead at the 200-meter mark and walked it in from there, with a final quarter mile in an unconscious :21.41. Gold-Fun stayed on into second from the rail-rallying Ambitious Dragon, but it was all about the big gelding the locals refer to as ‘Big Red.’
“Riding such a good horse like him makes my life so much easier,” said Moreira. “He’s done it extremely easily. He was going so good I didn’t have to pull out the whip or squeeze him up because I wanted him to be feeling good with himself. He was going to get there so there was no point knocking him around and he’s crossed the line full of himself.”
Winning trainer John Moore had this ominous assessment.
“We all know that I said I thought he was slightly underdone for today but after that facile win, I don’t think I’ve got to do much more before the international meeting,” said the handler. “He ran very strong…on the bit, so from that point of view I’ll just keep him at this level for the big day. Going in, we’re full of hope now.”
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
BOCHK WEALTH MANAGEMENT JOCKEY CLUB MILE-G2, HK$3,875,000 (US$499,690), Sha Tin, 11-23, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.46, gd/fm.
1–@ABLE FRIEND (AUS), 123, g, 3, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Ponte Piccolo (NZ), by Volksraad (GB)
2nd Dam: Baronia (NZ), by Half Iced
3rd Dam: Barron Fey (GB), by *Scottish Rifle
(A$550,000 yrl ‘11 INGEAS). O-Dr & Mrs Cornel Li Fook Kwan; B-Ramsey Pastoral Co Pty Ltd; T-John Moore; J-Joao Moreira; HK$2,208,750. Lifetime Record: G1SP-HK, 13-7-4-1, HK$17,790,430. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for theeNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gold-Fun (Ire), 128, g, 4, Le Vie Dei Colori (GB)–Goodwood March (GB), by Foxhound. (10,000gns yrl ‘10 TATOCT). O-Pan Sutong; B-Michael Downey & Roalso Ltd; T-Richard Gibson; HK$852,500.
3–Ambitious Dragon (NZ), 123, g, 8, Pins (Aus)–Golden Gamble (NZ), by Oregon. (NZ$47,500 RNA yrl ‘08 NZBSEL). O-Johnson Lam Pui Hung & Anderson Lam Hin Yue; B-E P Lowry; T-Tony Millard; HK$445,625.
Margins: 2 1/4, HF, 1. Odds: 9-10, 5-2, 3-1.
Also Ran: Secret Sham (Aus), Rainbow Chic (Ire), Rewarding Hero (GB), Lord Sinclair, Same World (GB), Hana’s Goal (Jpn), Packing Whiz (Ire).
Click for the HKJC.com chart and PPs.VIDEO. Click for the free Brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree.