By David Morgan in Dubai
Joao Moreira was in demand at Meydan this morning. Hong Kong’s champion jockey had a 5am start to work two of his five Dubai World Cup meeting mounts, the Japanese pair Gold Dream and Vivlos, before whisking off to watch race videos with connections; four hours later, the Brazilian was sitting before a rare full-house of attentive media in the racecourse press conference room.
Moreira revealed that he is “excited” about the upcoming attempt to secure his second Al Quoz Sprint triumph, this time aboard the John Size-trained Amazing Kids. The man from Curitiba rates the Hong Kong sprinter among his two best chances of success at tomorrow’s (Saturday, 25 March) fixture.
“It looks like he’s a good chance,” Moreira said. “His form is pretty good against some good horses back home. He’s a very nice horse and John and I have a very high opinion of him. Coming over here with the form that he has, we have the right to be very confident.”
Amazing Kids passed the post a comfortable second to Lucky Bubbles in a 1000m barrier trial (58.79s) down the Sha Tin straight prior to boarding a plane to Dubai. That was 10 days ago and the tune-up clearly pleased Moreira.
“He’s been doing well in Hong Kong,” he said. “His trackwork has been eye-catching, his last barrier trial in Hong Kong, I was extremely happy with him. We’re coming into this race thinking we are a winning chance. I do respect all the other horses in the race but I’m fully confident about the horse I have underneath.”
Amazing Kids is Size’s first runner in Dubai but Moreira is becoming an old hand. Hong Kong’s two-time champion rider landed the Al Quoz Sprint and the Dubai Golden Shaheen three years ago, atop Amber Sky and Sterling City, respectively. He has not added to that Dubai tally during the intervening period.
Gate one, no fear
Moreira’s Al Quoz win on the Ricky Yiu-trained Amber Sky was achieved from the front, the gelding having burst from gate eight. No horse has won from a draw lower than six but this year the race has been extended from 1000m to 1200m and Moreira is not fazed by having to jump from gate one this time.
“The past shows that a low draw is not the best, but there is always a time when the table can turn around and I think it’s going to be this time. This time, I don’t think they’ll be heading out to the outside fence like they have in the past,” the record-setting jockey said.
“When Amber Sky won, that day it looked like the track was better on the outside of the track but this time I think it will be different, everyone else will be funneling towards the middle of the course and I think the way he races, he’s just going to get back and get cover.
“If he had drawn wide he was going to have to do what he will do anyway from gate one, so I think this time gate number one will be the one,” he said.
The opportunity to run Amazing Kids down Meydan’s 1200m straight is the attraction for Size, and Moreira is looking forward to the race, the five-year-old having won both his races to date down Sha Tin’s 1000m strip.
“He was impressive the last time he won and he’s indicated that he enjoys the 1000-metre straight so we’ve come over here for the 1200 straight and I’m quite excited,” the Brazilian ace enthused.
“We think a straight line will suit him better because he’s a horse that gets back and runs home strongly,” he added. “He was able to win both starts down the 1000m straight in Hong Kong. Now we have 1200m, not 1000, and it’s going to be a strong race again, a challenging race. I’m confident that he can perform at his best – I’m convinced that John has him at his best for the race!”
Rating his chances
Moreira, however, rates his best chance of success as being Irish raider Heartbreak City in Saturday’s G2 Dubai Gold Cup (3200m), the horse he rode to an agonizingly close second in the G1 Melbourne Cup back in November, and he also had a good word for Japan’s G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) runner, Vivlos.
“Heartbreak City is my best ride and Amazing Kids is second-best,” Moreira said. “Heartbreak City should be the favourite for the race and I’m very excited about him again. He’s so honest and brave, he’s small but he has such a big engine. The Japanese filly, Vivlos, I cantered her this morning and she seems very nice. When she strides out she stretches beautifully and seems good enough.”
Moreira’s profile is increasingly international but his primary focus remains Hong Kong, while another stint in Japan this summer could be on the cards.
“Right now I have in mind to go back to Japan this summer where I’ve been able to get good rides and be well looked after – that’s the only plan that I have. But whenever I have opportunities to ride worldwide, I will. It’s my time and how long that’s going to last, I don’t know. I’ll make good use of it and enjoy it while it lasts,” he said.
Moreira’s remaining Dubai World Cup meeting rides are Gold Dream (G1 Dubai World Cup) and Wild Dude (G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen).
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Photo 1:
Joao Moreira won the Al Quoz Sprint aboard Amber Sky in 2014.
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Photo 2:
Sterling City's (Horse No.4) Dubai Golden Shaheen win completed a famous World Cup night double for Moreira and Hong Kong in 2014.
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