Sha Tin Racecourse witnessed the biggest shock of the season so far as Hong Kong’s super star, Able Friend, failed to complete back-to-back wins in the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile. The Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Flame took the spoils under an astute Gerald Mosse.
The John Moore-trained Secret Sham set steady fractions up front as Joao Moreira parked his esteemed stablemate more than eight lengths off the pace. Mosse, meanwhile, opted for the stalking role, allowing Beauty Flame – often a front-runner and twice second to Able Friend in G1 contests last term – to slipstream the leader.
“I was expecting that, if I was not going to make the running, the John Moore horse (Secret Sham) would, so I didn’t rush my horse and I got a perfect race,” said Mosse. “I just sat behind him and waited for the straight, like Tony told me to do, and when I pressed the button he answered perfectly.”
With 500m to race, Moreira, perhaps sensing the task facing the favourite, began pumping his arms. As the field of nine swept into the stretch, Beauty Flame quickened to lead at the 300m point. Able Friend made ground but progress was more grinding than blistering. Up ahead, Beauty Flame put daylight to the field, Contentment in closest pursuit, as Able Friend boxed on for third.
“He was just waiting for Able Friend but he didn’t see him so he didn’t push himself!” said a smiling Mosse following his length and quarter victory in a time of 1m 33.74s.
Trainer Tony Cruz was delighted: “We predicted how this race would be run. I believed one of John’s horses would set the pace for Able Friend, which would suit us perfectly and it came out exactly as we anticipated.
“I’m a little bit more than hopeful now,” he said of repeating the success in next month’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile. “To me the horse will be spot on for international day on 13 December. He’ll be better than today. All of my horses will be 100 percent on the big day, that’s for sure.”
Moore said of Able Friend’s run: “Moreira said when he got off that the track suited horses that were on the speed – that those on the speed were going to do better today. He still broke 22 seconds coming home (21.87s). He’s well enough. People might put it down to a flat run but I’d put it down to circumstances – the pattern of the race and so forth. He’ll be absolutely right for the Mile in December.”
Moore’s Designs On Rome, warming up for an attempt at a second consecutive win in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) next start and first-up for the season, finished sixth, three and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
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Photo 1:
Photo 1, 2, 3: Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Flame (No. 5), ridden by Gerald Mosse, fends off the late challenge of Contentment (No. 4, in white/blue) and Able Friend (No.1, in black) to win the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse today.
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Photo 2
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Photo 3
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Photo 4:
Connections of Beauty Flame celebrate their success after the race.
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Photo 5:
Photo 5, 6, 7: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward Michael Lee presents the BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile winning trophy and silver dishes to Beauty Flame��s owner Kwok Siu Ming, winning trainer Tony Cruz and jockey Gerald Mosse.
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Photo 6
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Photo 7
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Photo 8:
Lam Kwong Siu, Vice Chairman of BOC International Holdings Limited, presents a souvenir to the owner representative of Beauty Flame.
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Photo 9:
Mrs Ann Kung Yeung Yun Chi, Deputy Chief Executive of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, presents a crystal trophy to trainer Tony Cruz.
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Photo 10:
Wendy Tsang Kam Yin, General Manager, Private Banking of Bank of China (Hong Kong), presents a crystal trophy to jockey Gerald Mosse.
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Photo 11:
Club Chairman Dr Simon Ip (back row, 2nd from right), Club Stewards, CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (back row, 1st from left), senior officials of BOC International Holdings and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, and connections of Beauty Flame, smile for cameras in the BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile trophy presentation ceremony.
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Photo 12:
Connections of Beauty Flame share their joy after the race.
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Photo 13:
Club Chairman Dr Simon Ip (2nd from right), Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (1st from right), senior officials from BOC International Holdings and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, and the owner of race winner Beauty Flame, toast for the success of the BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile.
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Photo 14:
Mrs Kamill Fung Yin Fan, Deputy General Manager, Channel Management of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, presents a HK$2,000 prize to the stables assistant responsible for Able Friend, the best turned out horse in the BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile.
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