John Moore has a strong team for this year’s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and the Sha Tin trainer is confident that Able Friend is ready to show the world what he can do in Sunday’s HK$23 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
The strapping chestnut was imperious when winning the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile at the course and distance on 23 November. Jockey Joao Moreira had the luxury of easing down close home on the Shamardal five-year-old, who had surged clear of top-class rivals to win by over two lengths.
Able Friend will have a final piece of work on the turf down the backstretch later in the week as he takes aim at a G1 breakthrough.
“Able Friend will go on the grass on Thursday over the back - we’ll keep him on nice flat ground, so we don’t upset his hind quarters,” said Moore, who will work his LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint contenders Sterling City and Flagship Shine over the same strip that morning.
“It was a phenomenal run last time and we thought he was underdone,” he added. “I don’t need to do much more with him. I put him down the back over the grass the other day because it had rained on the dirt track and I didn’t want the same problem with his hind quarters that he had earlier in the season. He did that and he’ll do it again on Thursday.”
Moore is confident that the horse he has always considered a champion-in-waiting is primed and will be able to step up and take the crown on Sunday.
“If he does what he did the other day in 1m 33s on the bit, what more do you need to do? Why bore it up him? He weighs 1290lb now and we don’t want him much lighter than that. 1280lb to 1290lb is perfect - the days of him being 1244lb are gone. He’s ready to rumble!” he said.
Able Friend saw off last season’s LONGINES Hong Kong Mile runner-up Gold-Fun when winning last start, while the 2012 Mile victor Ambitious Dragon was third. The latter, so brilliant in victory two years ago, missed last season’s edition due to injury and has had only two starts since returning from that 18-month lay-off. Both have shown that he retains plenty of ability.
Tony Millard has booked Ryan Moore for his stable star but feels that the two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year has a bit to find if Able Friend turns up in the same form as last time.
“Ryan Moore will have a sit on him towards the end of the week, just to get a feel for him,” said Millard of the eight-year-old. “We worked him last week, just to round him off. He only raced two weeks ago and I was happy with his run. It was a good run, it’s just that that other horse ran a race that if he reproduces it the Mile’s going to be academic - it was a very big run by Able Friend.
“Ambitious Dragon’s going along nicely, we need a little bit of luck and as long as we can get there without much to do, well, we’ve got a ticket so we’ve got a chance. He’s certainly right there. Frankly speaking I think Able Friend’s got it to lose by the look of his last race - that was good enough for him to win any race. He got first run and Joao rode an unbelievable race but he was too good that day. We’ll see what happens.”
John Moore will work Designs On Rome (LONGINES Hong Kong Cup) and Dominant (LONGINES Hong Kong Vase) on the Sha Tin turf tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 9 December).
