John Moore was officially crowned Champion Trainer and Joao Moreira was presented with his Champion Jockey award this afternoon (Sunday, 12 July) as Hong Kong racing held the final fixture of the 2014/2015 season.
Moreira’s name had been etched, expectantly, on the Champion Jockey roll of honour for some time given his mammoth final tally of 145 – some 50 wins clear of his nearest rival, the 2013/2014 champion Zac Purton.
“It’s a great feeling to be Champion Jockey in Hong Kong – I’ve received fantastic support from owners and trainers and I’m very thankful for that,” said the new champ after he had partnered Contentment to win the day’s feature race, the Class 1 Sha Tin Mile Trophy (Handicap). The Brazilian ace had earlier notched a double for trainer David Hall atop Bamboo Dance (Race 1) and Go Sandy Go (Race 6), and capped the afternoon with a victory in the last race on Sun Jewellery to seal a four-timer.
“The season has gone fantastically,” he continued, “it couldn’t have gone any better. But I’m already looking forward to next season and I know I can make improvements.”
Moreira’s championship was assured some time ago whereas Moore, on the other hand, was still just about within touching distance of his closest pursuer, John Size, when this afternoon’s 11-race card commenced, although the latter would have required an unprecedented seven-win haul to have snatched the championship from Moore’s grasp.
As it was, Moore put the matter to bed in Race 4, the aptly-titled Mr Award Handicap (1200m). Midnight Rattler was on time to deliver a battling neck win under Gerald Mosse (the middle leg of a hat-trick for the in-form Frenchman, who also went on to complete a four-timer), prompting a jubilant Moore to declare “That’s the end of it! We’re eight up and there are only seven races to go, so we’re the leading trainer for 2014/2015.
“It’s been very memorable – not only because of Able Friend. It took a lot of other horses in the stable to make this come true,” he said after the win.
Moore paid tribute to his staff for the work they have done to make possible his seventh Hong Kong Trainer Championship, a feat achieved with a final tally of 70 wins and a new season’s prize money record of HK$139,938,246.
“It’s been hard fought but, as I always go back to, the stable staff have put in 101 percent and I’m grateful to them; I’m grateful to my owners and I’m grateful to all the jockeys that have ridden for me and made it possible.”
The trainer, 65, who landed his first championship in 1985/1986, would have been retiring after today had not the Hong Kong Jockey Club reviewed the compulsory retirement policy for its trainers back in June, 2013.
“To think I might have been retiring this season on a highest prize money earner and leading trainer – so I just want to thank the Stewards of the Jockey Club for giving me a reprieve of another few years to maybe win another premiership. I look forward to the challenge in future seasons to try and replicate this season.”
Moore ended the day with a double thanks to Colossus in Race 10, the Class 3 Entrapment Handicap (1400m). The three-year-old, considered a smart prospect for next season’s Four-Year-Old Series, closed off strongly under Neil Callan.
Vincent Ho wrapped up a successful campaign with a victory aboard Golden Gunners in Race 2, which took his tally for the season to 33 and so wrapped up the newly-inaugurated Best Freelance Jockey Award. The local rider was applauded by race fans when he received his award in the parade ring prior to Race 8.
Also unveiled this afternoon was the season’s Most Admired Overseas Horse. That accolade went to Solow as the brilliant European galloper secured 29 percent of the public vote. He proved his talent with an eye-catching victory in March’s G1 Dubai Turf, a performance that saw him power more than four lengths clear of his nearest rival The Grey Gatsby. The gelding furthered his reputation as one of the best in the world when he got the better of a world class field, including Able Friend, in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
