Able Friend, ever the star attraction, drew an expectant clutch of international media and keen-eyed work watchers to Sha Tin Racecourse before dawn this morning, Thursday 10 December.
“I’m happy with him, that was just to keep him turning over – all he needed was a freshen-up after his race in the mile a couple of weeks back and he’s there now, he’s cherry ripe. Joao had a big smile on his face when he came back,” said Moore after the defending LONGINES Hong Kong Mile champ had breezed the backside under Moreira before easing down on the turn and sauntering the home straight.
That solo work – 800m in 53.4s (27.8, 25.6) – climaxed an informative hour or so of turf gallops and the sun had already climbed the eastward mountain when the big horse eventually jumped off from the 1800m start. In the meantime, a couple of the Shamardal gelding’s stablemates took their turn to dazzle under the floodlights, notably Dominant.
The 2013 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) victor worked in company with triple G1 winner Dan Excel and galloped with the zest of a horse in peak condition. The pair was timed at 1m 25.4s for 1200m (Dominant: 30.5, 29.7, 25.2) (Dan Excel: 30.5, 31.7, 23.2).
“He went really well,” said jockey Zac Purton as he headed back to the mounting yard.
Moore is of the view that the seven-year-old, seeking a first win since he held off The Fugue to win the Vase at odds of 12/1 two years ago, is perhaps as good as ever.
“Dominant, in my view, is going better than two years ago,” said the handler. “His last run was good, he’s coming right just when he needs to. He’s done really well leading into this and he’s pulled up better this morning than he did in his final work before he won the race. Of course, now it’s a matter of how the race is run and will he get his chances. Flintshire’s a good horse but he’s shown often enough that he’s beatable.
“I think Dominant going down to Australia for those races earlier in the year has definitely helped him. Just being able to get out in a paddock has done him good, the same as with Able Friend – he might have been beaten at Ascot but the time Able Friend had in the paddock at Newmarket after that race did him the world of good.”
Able Friend highlighted that point with a superlative victory over 1200m first-up this season in which he powered past most of Hong Kong’s elite sprinters, defying top-weight in the process, to win October’s HKG2 Premier Bowl (Handicap). Among those behind him that day was stablemate Not Listenin’tome, who had looked every inch a horse on the up when winning the HKG3 National Day Cup (Handicap – 1000m) earlier that month.
Not Listenin’tome strode out strongly this morning under Sunday’s big-race pilot Hugh Bowman, clocking a time of 49.1s (26.5, 22.6) for 800m. Bowman was pleased with the five-year-old ahead of his assignment in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).
“I was pleased with him,” said the Australian rider. “He’s in a good frame of mind, he’s happy and he feels powerful. Obviously, I haven’t ridden him before but I’ve seen him race back in Australia. He needs things to go his way but he can win if they do. The draw is going to be huge – if he gets a good gate and then a nice run where he doesn’t have to do much work, he can certainly be there”.
Designs On Rome had his final grass workout ahead of an attempt to repeat his G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) win of last year. He clocked 1m 22.2s (29.6, 29.9, 22.7) for 1200m in company with Same World. Moore was happy but remains cautious given the five-year-old’s one-race prep following minor surgery in May.
“Designs On Rome galloped this morning and he had a good blow – we know he’s all heart and he’ll be running hard until he hits the line. There’s always going to be that doubt second race up,” said Moore.
Moore’s Vase contender Helene Happy Star and Mile runner Secret Sham kicked off the session in company, clocking 1m 23.4 for their final 1200m. All bar Able Friend galloped the home stretch to the wire. Another of the trainer’s Mile runners, Rewarding Hero, went 1200m in 1m 26.2s under Bowman.
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Photo 1:
With Joao Moreira on board, the John Moore-trained LONGINES Hong Kong Mile runner Able Friend gallops on Sha Tin turf this morning.
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