Though it attracted one of the deepest fields in the history of the race, Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile was billed as a clash between Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal), a slashing winner of this race 12 months ago, and Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), winner of five straight including Japan's two top mile tests–the G1 Yasuda Kinen and the G1 Mile Championship. The latter event had been won in 2005 by Hat Trick (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), the last foreign-based runner to defeat the locals. It took an outstanding performance from the 4-year-old and a perfect tactical ride from Ryan Moore to snap the streak Sunday.
Scooped up for ¥10.5 million (about US$86,000) out of the Hokkaido Breeze-Up Sales in 2013, Maurice was a maiden winner in a single appearance, but was unplaced in three tries at group level and capped an abbreviated season with third to Staphanos (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in an 1800-meter race at Kyoto last May. It's been a different story since switching to the barn of Noriyuki Hori. The colt earned his first pattern success in the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy Apr. 5 and followed up with a narrow score in the Yasuda Kinen June 7. He had it all to do last time in the Mile Championship, as he was first off a five-month layoff and drew stall 16 of 18, but despite a wide passage and a tendency to overrace, he nevertheless got the job done. The prospect of further improvement saw him sent off as the 3-1 second choice behind Able Friend.
Maurice left the stalls without incident, though he looked to bother Able Friend just a touch inside the first furlong as the market-leading duo set up one behind the other down the backstretch. Able Friend's stable companion Secret Sham (Aus) (Shamardal) showed the way through the opening half-mile from the well-regarded Contentment (Aus) (Hussonet). Beauty Flame (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) saved ground from just off the pace and struck to the front after 1200 meters in 1:11.24, but the chief protagonists were descending on the leaders in earnest, with Able Friend appearing to be doing the better work after pulling to the outside of Maurice in upper stretch. The big chestnut got perhaps a half-length ahead of the Japanese raider, but Ryan Moore was able to keep him alive and hit the wire first, as Giant Treasure outfought Able Friend for second. The latter was passed fit to run around midday after displaying a pulse in a foot early in the morning.
“I'm very pleased for the horse,” said Moore, picking up the second of his two wins on the day. “That race in Kyoto is always very hard to win, and he's backed it up three weeks later. I think he's maybe been a little underrated, but he's a very good horse and he showed it today.”
Moore later picked up a four-day ban for causing interference to Able Friend at the 1400 meters.
As for the beaten favorite, trainer John Moore said, “I was hoping he would hold on in the closing stages but he couldn't. Whether the foot issue was a factor, I don't know but he had three veterinary checks this morning which wasn't easy.”
Mejiro Frances produced a full-brother to Maurice Mar. 20.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG MILE-G1, HK$23,000,000 (US$2,967,535), Sha Tin, 12-13, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.92, gd.
1–MAURICE (JPN), 126, c, 4, by Screen Hero (Jpn)
1st Dam: Mejiro Frances (Jpn), by Carnegie (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mejiro Monterey (Jpn), by Mogami (Fr)
3rd Dam: Mejiro Quincey (Jpn), by Fidion (Fr)
O-Kazumi Yoshida; B-Togawa Bokujo; T-Noriyuki Hori; J-Ryan Moore; HK$13,110,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Jpn, 13-8-0-1. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Giant Treasure, 126, g, 4, Mizzen Mast–Palisade, by Gone West O-Pan Sutong; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc; T-Richard Gibson; HK$5,060,000.
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3–Able Friend (Aus), 126, g, 6, Shamardal–Ponte Piccolo (NZ), by Volksraad (GB). (A$550,000 Ylg '11 INGEAS). O-Dr & Mrs Cornel Li; B-Ramsey Pastoral Co Pty Ltd; T-John Moore; HK$2,300,000.
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Margins: 3/4, NK, 1. Odds: 31-10, 17-1, 7-10.
Also Ran: Esoterique (Ire), Contentment (Aus), Beauty Flame (Ire), Danon Platina (Jpn), Rewarding Hero (GB), Fiero (Jpn), Romantic Touch (Aus), Toormore (Ire), Mondialiste (Ire), Secret Sham (Aus), Red Dubawi (Ire).
Click for the HKJC.com chart and VIDEO. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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