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Moreira conquers on Rome in LONGINES Hong Kong Cup

14/12/2014

Hong Kong’s premier jockey elect and latest ‘poster boy’ Joao Moreira roared with delight and waved exuberantly to the crowd as he returned to scale after a heart-stopping win on Designs On Rome in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m).

It was, perhaps, partially a reaction to his relief at taking the coveted prize by just a short head from chief premiership rival Zac Purton aboard Military Attack – especially as Moreira conceded he thought he’d been beaten.

But more likely his exuberance reflected the significance of the day for him and the winner’s trainer John Moore as they had combined, just 40 minutes earlier, to also win the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile with Able Friend.

If Able Friend’s win was effortless, then that of Designs On Rome was in marked contrast but nonetheless impressive given the quality of the vanquished Military Attack who was formerly trained by Moore but now resides with Caspar Fownes.

Moreira was hard at work on Designs On Rome from the half way mark. “That’s the sort of horse he is. I learned a lot about him in my two previous rides on him. You’ve got to get going early with him but you know he’ll keep responding and he did that today,” Moreira said.

And if anyone doubted the quality of this year’s HKG1 Hong Kong Derby form then it was well and truly erased after this afternoon’s meeting as Designs On Rome and Able Friend quinellaed that March feature.

Designs On Rome has now had four starts over the 2000m course at Sha Tin for wins in the Cup, the Derby and in the G1 QEII Cup and while he’ll continue to race in Hong Kong, Moore hopes that he will join Able Friend campaigning in Dubai in the new year.

“We had set him for this,” Moore said, “and I said all week I was confident he would peak for this race. Joao (Moreira) had him stoked up at the right time and he was very tough. It was an excellent win and I’d be keen to campaign him overseas.”

Moreira described his International Day success as a ‘dream come true’ after he was suspended and missed the corresponding day last year and he was full of praise for Designs On Rome. “He’s an amazing horse. He gave me a great kick today and was so strong through the line,” he said.

Zac Purton was gracious in narrow defeat. “My horse ran great but the winner’s a very good horse and there were no excuses. He just got us today,” Purton said.

Former Hong Kong trainer David Hayes, now training back in his native Australia, was delighted with the third placed performance of his charge Criterion. He filled the minor placing behind the ‘locals’ just as was the case in the Sprint and the Mile with internationals finishing third behind a Hong Kong trained quinella.

“He was the first international home and he ran very well, “ Hayes said of Criterion, “if he’d drawn in and got some cover early, who knows, he might have won. He raced to a different pattern today and gave a great kick. I’m very happy.”

The winning time was 2m 1.96s.

Former champion Douglas Whyte, 13 times the Hong Kong premiership winner, had a remarkable day as he rode four winners on the undercard and finished second in three of the day’s Group 1 events. Among his winners were the exciting four-year-old’s Got Fly and Giant Treasure, both trained by Richard Gibson, who provided three legs of Whyte’s four-timer.

Photo 1,  2,  3,  4<br>
Designs On Rome (No. 2) under Joao Moreira edges Military Attack to land the HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (Group 1-2000M).
Photo 1:
Photo 1, 2, 3, 4
Designs On Rome (No. 2) under Joao Moreira edges Military Attack to land the HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (Group 1-2000M).


Photo 2


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Photo 4

Photo 5,  6,  7,  8<br>
Jockey Joao Moreira, trainer John Moore and owner representative of Designs On Rome celebrate their victory in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.
Photo 5:
Photo 5, 6, 7, 8
Jockey Joao Moreira, trainer John Moore and owner representative of Designs On Rome celebrate their victory in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.


Photo 6


Photo 7


Photo 8

Photo 9,  10<br>
The Hon Lam Woon Kwong (right), Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, presents the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup trophy and a bronze statuette of a horse and jockey to owner representative of Designs On Rome.
Photo 9:
Photo 9, 10
The Hon Lam Woon Kwong (right), Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, presents the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup trophy and a bronze statuette of a horse and jockey to owner representative of Designs On Rome.


Photo 10

The Hon Lam Woon Kwong (right), Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, presents a bronze statuette of a horse and jockey to John Moore, trainer of Designs On Rome.
Photo 11:
The Hon Lam Woon Kwong (right), Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, presents a bronze statuette of a horse and jockey to John Moore, trainer of Designs On Rome.

The Hon Lam Woon Kwong (right), Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, presents a bronze statuette of a horse and jockey to Joao Moreira, jockey of Designs On Rome.
Photo 12:
The Hon Lam Woon Kwong (right), Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, presents a bronze statuette of a horse and jockey to Joao Moreira, jockey of Designs On Rome.

Mr Walter von Kanel (right), President of LONGINES International, presents a souvenir to owner representative of Designs On Rome.
Photo 13:
Mr Walter von Kanel (right), President of LONGINES International, presents a souvenir to owner representative of Designs On Rome.

Mr Walter von Kanel (right), President of LONGINES International, presents a souvenir to Designs On Rome��s trainer John Moore.
Photo 14:
Mr Walter von Kanel (right), President of LONGINES International, presents a souvenir to Designs On Rome��s trainer John Moore.

Mr Walter von Kanel (right), President of LONGINES International, presents a souvenir to Designs On Rome��s jockey Joao Moreira.
Photo 15:
Mr Walter von Kanel (right), President of LONGINES International, presents a souvenir to Designs On Rome��s jockey Joao Moreira.

Group photo at the presentation ceremony of the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.
Photo 16:
Group photo at the presentation ceremony of the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

A toasting ceremony is held at Jockey Club Box after the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.
Photo 17:
A toasting ceremony is held at Jockey Club Box after the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

Photo 18,  19<br>
Happy connections share their happiness with media for the success of Designs On Rome in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.
Photo 18:
Photo 18, 19
Happy connections share their happiness with media for the success of Designs On Rome in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.


Photo 19

Dr Kenji Tsuchikawa, Special Counselor to the President of Japan Racing Association, presents a prize of HK$5,000 to the groom responsible for Military Attack, the Best Turned Out Horse in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.
Photo 20:
Dr Kenji Tsuchikawa, Special Counselor to the President of Japan Racing Association, presents a prize of HK$5,000 to the groom responsible for Military Attack, the Best Turned Out Horse in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

 

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