Able Friend has final fast gallop

12/06/2015

Team Moore was content this morning, Friday, 12 June, after Able Friend had completed his final piece of fast work before Tuesday’s big test at Royal Ascot in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m).

The Shamardal five-year-old pulled out of his box at around 6.30am this morning and made his way over to the Racecourse Side gallops. Work rider Thomas Yeung was in the saddle as usual, and, as has become the routine, apprentice jockey Louis Steward and his mount My Strategy led the way for Hong Kong’s superstar.

First to the warm-up and Able Friend followed his lead through about 1000m at a trot and then a light canter, seemingly enjoying Newmarket’s tranquil, leafy environs, bathed as they were in an early morning haze of golden light. From there it was back across the moderately busy A1304, otherwise known as Barbara Stradbroke Avenue, to the Cambridge Road Polytrack gallop.

My Strategy swooshed past first. After an interval, Able Friend was sighted making his way up the slight incline on to the flat straight. With the white grandstand of the famous Rowley Mile Racecourse glistening in the background, Able Friend galloped past the small clutch of work watchers, journalists and camera crews at a solid lick, his stride fluent.

“He galloped well and enjoyed himself,” said Yeung after he had returned to Michael Bell’s Fitzroy House Stables. “What Mr Moore wanted this morning was to go 800m in 51 to 52 seconds and I did about 53 seconds. He’s always a little bit laidback in his work, even in Hong Kong.”

George Moore, son of trainer John, added: “We probably did about 900m on the flat side of the Polytrack – there’s a pull-up at the end, of about 150m, so we didn’t work over the full five furlongs and there’s a slight incline into the gallop, so he did about 53.5 seconds for the 800m. He was working up in to that little incline for the first time so he was on the slightly slower side – it’s better to go slower than faster with that short rise at the start. He’s a fit horse and he’s had just a medium blow afterwards.”

After returning to his box, which is located in a quiet corner of the yard next door to the Bell-trained George Cinq, a Class 3 galloper with whom the big chestnut seems to have a quiet rapport, Able Friend enjoyed a hose down and a pick of grass.

“He’s coped with the new environment really well and he seems to be enjoying it. He’s not really worried about the new things around him, he’s a very intelligent type of horse,” said Yeung.

“He came here as a fit horse, he had a trial in Hong Kong; Joao (Moreira) was happy, Mr Moore is happy and the horse acts like he’s really content. It feels to me like he’s right where he should be. It’s going to be a very interesting race.”

Moore jnr. echoed Yeung’s assessment: “I think he’s done enough work to be at his optimal fitness for race day. He’s holding his weight at 1278lb, which is right on his win weight. We had the physio come in yesterday and she said he was right on track, he’s nice and loose.”

Able Friend will lock horns with some of Europe’s finest milers, including the French star Solow and the British classic winner Night Of Thunder. The Moore trainee will be aiming to reclaim his top spot in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings after he was shuffled back to second in the most recent list, which incorporates races from 1 January to 7 June.

North American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah has leapt to the top with a rating of 128 after his historic Belmont Stakes win on Saturday. Able Friend is now in equal second spot, rated 125, alongside Shared Belief and the English Derby winner Golden Horn. Solow is rated 124.