Joao Moreira is Hong Kong’s Champion Jockey. The Brazilian has sealed the 2014/2015 title with four race meetings remaining thanks to his mammoth season’s total of 139 wins, so far. He achieved a four-timer at the Sha Tin meeting today (Saturday, 27 June), including a victory in the feature race, the Hong Kong Riding For The Disabled Association Cup, atop the John Moore-trained Dashing Fellow.
Moreira, who has smashed Douglas Whyte’s previous record of 114 wins in a Hong Kong season, is 48 wins clear of his nearest rival, the 2013/2014 Champion Jockey Zac Purton. With only 42 races remaining before the season ends on Sunday, 12 July, the rider race fans call “Magic Man” cannot be caught.
His other three winners today were One More World (Race 3), Heroic Guru (Race 5) and Sun Jewellery (Race 10).
“It’s a pleasure for me to win the Hong Kong premiership. It's been achievable because of the contribution of a collective help from a lot of people and I will dedicate these winners to them and my family,” said Moreira, whose win strike rate for the season so far stands at a remarkable 24%.
Moreira moved to Hong Kong in October 2013 having racked up four consecutive jockeys’ championships in Singapore. His first Hong Kong campaign yielded 97 wins, which took him to second-place in the 2013/2014 premiership behind Purton (112) despite the fact that he arrived at Sha Tin more than a month into that campaign. Moreira will not ride the next two meetings in Hong Kong due to a suspension incurred when guiding Medicean Man to a second-placing in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
His phenomenal win total this term - his first full season in Hong Kong - includes G1 triumphs on Able Friend in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, Stewards’ Cup, Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup and Champions Mile, and on Designs On Rome in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup.
In the trainer’s premiership, current leader John Moore widened the gap to four wins over nearest rival John Size thanks to the double of One More World and Dashing Fellow. Moore now leads the table with 63 wins, followed by Size (59 wins), who added a win to his tally with Sun Jewellery in the final race of the card, and Casper Fownes (56 wins) who was winless today.
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Joao Moreira scores his third win today aboard Dashing Fellow (No. 1) in the Hong Kong Riding For The Disabled Association Cup.
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