Moore Reflects On Stellar Season

MOORE REFLECTS ON STELLAR SEASON 
Jockey Ryan Moore has been widely hailed as the best in the world as he prepares to wrap up a stellar season that has included landmark victories in the G1 Cox Plate and G1 Melbourne Cup, and indeed the 31-year-old British-based rider currently sits atop the Longines World’s Best Jockey rankings. Moore sat down with BBC Radio 5 yesterday, but it was apparent that success has not gone to his head. 

“It’s very flattering. Racing, like most sport, is part opinion and some people will have that opinion and others won’t,” he noted. “Some days someone’s going to get the better of me and some days I’ll get the better of them. You need the right horse, first of all, and it depends how the race shapes. Sometimes you can control it, but sometimes it shapes differently and you can’t control it but you get lucky, and other days you might not.” 

He added that the best jockey is, “One of those things you won’t ever prove. It’s very flattering but probably untrue.” 
In addition to his two recent Australian scores, Moore’s big-race wins this year include the GI Canadian International aboard Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); the G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Prix du Jockey Club with The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}); the G1 Yorkshire Oaks on Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Royal Ascot’s G1 Coronation S. with Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). He also brought up an Arlington double Aug. 16 when winning the GI Secretariat S. aboard his Cox Plate winner Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the GI Beverly D. S. on Euro Charline (GB) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). Moore also partnered Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to win the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, and he will attempt to guide her to their second straight–and her third–G1 Japan Cup Nov. 30. 

“I try not to dwell too much on wins or losses and I maybe should enjoy it a bit more, but I just like to keep looking ahead and move on, really,” Moore said. “I’m lucky to be asked to ride in these countries. I get to ride some high-class horses and what I want to do most of all is ride the best horses and be competing in the biggest races. Fortunately this year they have taken me all over the world to all the major racing nations. You are only ever as good as your last ride–I don’t think you can dwell too much in racing.” 

Moore also addressed his lack of time spent in the public spotlight. 

“I may be not the ideal role model some people would like me to be,” he said. “It would probably be said that I could spend a bit more time in the media promoting the sport but I can only focus on my sort of area, which is being as good as I can, really. It’s pretty selfish, probably, but that’s probably the way you have to be in racing and in most sport. There are lots of races to be won and won again but the biggest thing for me is to carry on improving and do as good a job as I can. If I feel like I’m riding well and getting the most out of my rides, that’s the most important thing.”