John Moore may not have an Able Friend, or indeed a Designs On Rome, in his four-year-old armoury this year but in Werther the trainer does have a high-class candidate to lead his stable’s contingent into the HK$10 million HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Mile on Sunday, 24 January.
Hong Kong’s reigning Champion Trainer has four horses among the initial 14 at the latest entry stage and Werther is currently the stable pick. The Tavistock gelding, runner-up in the G1 Queensland Derby (2200m) back in June, impressed on his Hong Kong debut last month with a smart Class 2 victory under Hugh Bowman. The Aussie hoop will fly in to renew the partnership at the weekend.
“Werther was very impressive first-up, those sectionals were great, and his track work has been very impressive since,” said Moore, referencing the bay’s split of 22.15 seconds for the final 400m of that mile contest.
The John Size duo, Thewizardofoz and Sun Jewellery, are the top-rated entrants in a race with a good dose of relatively unknown quantities, but that pair holds no fears for Moore.
“From a good draw, Werther would definitely stretch the likes of Sun Jewellery and Thewizardofoz. They’ll have to bring their ‘A’ game because he’s come on again since his last run. He’s going to be very competitive.”
The Hong Kong Classic Mile is the first major test for Hong Kong’s four-year-old generation and Moore has won the race three times previously, most recently two years ago with superstar Able Friend. The big chestnut was subsequently runner-up to Designs On Rome in the other two big four-year-old heats, the HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and the HKG1 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m). Consort, a high-profile European import, is expected to improve again for Sunday’s upcoming assignment, with March’s Derby being that colt’s principal aim.
“Consort will need the run,” said Moore, who was satisfied with the grey’s first Hong Kong run, a fair sixth late last month behind Thewizardofoz in a 1400m Class 2 handicap. “I just hope he gets a good gate so we can smother him. He’s a horse that has high-class form in Europe - third in the St James’s Palace Stakes - but he’s still an entire so we have to manage that carefully. Everything is going to plan as we look toward his main target, the Derby, and if he can finish in behind the place-getters at the mile I’ll be very pleased.”
Dashing Fellow is the most experienced entrant, with 16 Hong Kong starts under his belt for five wins, but he is not a certain starter. Meanwhile, Basic Trilogy, a G3 winner at 2020m in Queensland, was a solid sixth at his Hong Kong debut on 9 January.
“Dashing Fellow had one or two minor issues after his last trial and the vets are monitoring, so he’s a doubt for Sunday at this stage,” revealed Moore. “It was a good run from Basic Trilogy last time - probably should have finished a place. That was full of merit. He’ll wear blinkers this time, as he did in Australia, and Douglas Whyte takes the ride.”
Aside from the Size stable’s exciting duo the weekend showpiece is also likely to feature Ricky Yiu’s talented galloper, Blizzard. A winner of six from 12 starts up to 1400m, the Starcraft gelding gave Thewizardofoz 2lb and defeated him a neck earlier this term but came out second best by two and three quarter lengths to the same rival last start when conceding 5lb.
The Francis Lui-trained up-and-comer, Lucky Bubbles, is three from six and closed out nicely when third to Sun Jewellery last time.
The entries also include Divine Boy (engaged at Happy Valley on Wednesday), the Tony Cruz-trained trio of Green Dispatch, King Genki and Giovanni Canaletto, the Chris So-trained Hero Look, and Rickfield from the Tony Millard stable.
The three reserves are the Moore-trained White Magic and the Cruz stable’s General Sherman and Wah May Friend.
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