Hong Kong's 2015 jockey's premiership dominators Joao Moreira and Zac Purton will, this Saturday, bid to improve their already excellent international records when they ride at the Randwick meeting - in Sydney - which features four Group 1 races.
Purton, fresh from his win last Sunday aboard Aerovelocity in Japan's Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, has rides in five of the six simulcast races and will be keen to partner Sacred Falls to a history-making third successive win in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile.
However fans of Moreira will be hoping that the Brazilian jockey's 'magic' will be enough, along with a 3lb advantage from last year, for his mount Royal Descent to turn the tables on Sacred Falls after the mare finished a half length second to Purton's mount in this race 12 months ago.
Moreira, the recent winner of the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap in Australia on the Chris Waller trained Brazen Beau, will be aboard the stablemate Royal Descent for the first time. The mare has the remarkable record of having finished second in her five starts over Saturday's course and distance - four of them at Group 1 level and with four of the defeats coming by a half length or less.
“I'm very happy with the way the mare is going and always happy to have Joao (Moreira) riding for us. He does have something special,” Waller said of the tearaway Hong Kong premiership leader who rides in all six simulcast races on Saturday.
Royal Descent is drawn gate 18 and Sacred Falls has barrier 20 in the Doncaster Mile. However, with the track rated a soft 7 on Thursday, and further rain expected the wide barriers may not be a disadvantage.
Sacred Falls jumps to topweight of 128lb under the handicap conditions of the A$3 million race after winning with 117lb in 2013 and with 125lb, under Purton, in 2014. The five-year-old has won six times on soft tracks and would certainly be well placed if the Sydney rain continues.
Royal Descent is proven all track conditions and turned in the better lead-up run when 2.2 lengths fourth to Japan's Real Impact, also a contender on Saturday, in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) on 21 March.
Real Impact was ridden to his Ryder Stakes success by Sydney based New Zealander James McDonald, who rides him again this weekend, and McDonald continued his great form last Saturday when he landed five winners. Other runners of note in the Doncaster Mile include Suavito and Pornichet who've been entered for the Champions Mile at Sha Tin in May.
Saturday's card also includes the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) which features three of the world's top rated sprinters in Lankan Rupee, Chautauqua and Terravista.
As a result of a change of race order, the Hong Kong Jockey Club will simulcast the P J Bell Stakes (G3 1200m) on 4 April instead of the Chairman’s Handicap as announced on 30 March. Starting time of the first race on The Championships - Doncaster Mile Day remains the same at 11:30am.
