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Able Friend raises smiles and hopes with barrier trial performance

02/12/2016

By David Morgan

John Moore and Joao Moreira both had a thing or two to smile about after this morning’s (Friday, 2 December) pre-LONGINES HKIR barrier trials at Sha Tin, and neither man’s grin was at any time wider than after Able Friend had cruised past the winning post under a firm hold.

“He trialled really well and Joao was very emphatic about the fact that the trial was really good. He got off with a smile on his face and said it was a dramatic improvement,” Moore revealed after watching his stable star cover 1200m on the all-weather track in company with seven others.

The 2014 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile victor appeared to be in fine health, oozing strength as Moreira kept the reins short and tight down the home stretch. The Shamardal seven-year-old was a picture of contained power in moving past horses to finish a length and a half second behind stablemate Not Listenin’tome.

“That trial was very necessary to get that fitness into him because we’re very aware that we’re that one run short in terms of the ideal prep,” Moore said.

Able Friend returned to race action after an 11-month absence with a fine fourth in the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) two weeks ago. The former Horse of the Year had been on the sidelines due to a tendon issue, low down in his off-fore, which came to light after he ran third in last year’s Hong Kong Mile.

Soon after returning from a successful recuperation in Australia, owner Dr. Cornel Li’s superstar injured his hind quarters in a freak accident at the Sha Tin quarantine facility. That occurred in September and forced Moore to re-jig plans, dropping a planned first-up run in the G2 Premier Bowl (1200m), which has left the gelding one run short.   

“We never trialled him before the big race last year, we just went straight in, but this time it’s been a little bit of a different prep. We’ve just needed to get that little bit more fitness into him,” Moore said. But the trainer is happy, nonetheless, given the circumstances.

“Everything is going to plan with regard to this type of prep,” he revealed. “It’s been a  case of getting that muscle back into his quarters, which we’ve been doing with track work and swimming - you can see that there’s definitely a change in his quarters since he came back into work in September, he’s got stronger. With such a long lay-off it takes time to get the right muscle back again. We’re happy the way things are going - that trial was what we wanted to see.”

Not Listenin’tome was always in control on the front end in this morning’s first trial. The Jockey Club Sprint victor showed good toe and cruised through to clock 1m 11.32s under Sam Clipperton, who will give way to Hugh Bowman in Sunday week’s LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).

“The trial this morning was just to top him off for next week,” Moore said. “Sam said he was delighted with it and that he’s going to be competitive, so hopefully we can draw a gate. He’s fitter than he was at this stage last year - he couldn’t be better.”

Moore was also delighted with his second Mile candidate, Helene Paragon. The Polan colt came through batch two without a hitch, travelling strongly behind runners before pulling out late in the stretch and rolling home for a cosy fifth, a length behind first past the post, the Moreira-ridden Amazing Kids.

“That was a good trial by Helene Paragon - it was just to make sure, fitness-wise, for the big day,” Moore said of the last start G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile seventh. “In my opinion, he’d have won the other day had he not been baulked in running and that’s what (Hugh) Bowman said - he’d have won half a length or a length.

“We’re going into the Mile with two live chances. It’s exciting - we’ve got a good chance of winning the Mile again.”

Sun Jewellery is slated to face the Moore-trained pair in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile and John Size’s charge gave every indication that he is approaching a peak with a fine display in batch one.

Hong Kong’s champion miler last term, the five-year-old ran well for a close third in the recent Jockey Club Mile. This morning, under Silvestre de Sousa, the chestnut was full of running down the home stretch as his Brazilian pilot maintained a firm hold and eased home sixth.

“He feels good, it’s just a trial but he’s in good form,” De Sousa said. “I hope for a big run. He enjoyed it, he’s come out of his last run well and it was obviously a good run, so it’s all good.”

De Sousa was also aboard the Size-trained Eastern Express in batch two. The LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) candidate was up with the pace and kept on without pressure to finish a head second behind stablemate Amazing Kids, who clocked 1m 12.11s for the 1200m.

“I was kind of surprised by the speed Eastern Express showed me this morning, but I’m very happy with the trial,” he said.

“I’m happy with both horses, I’m happy with the work they did, it will be a big day for everyone and it is hard to predict and call a winner on a big day but we’ll try our best. It’s my first International and I’m very excited.”

Another of Size’s LONGINES HKIR candidates, the Hong Kong Mile-bound Contentment, did all that was required of him in batch one to finish a length and a half third under Brett Prebble. In the same trial, the Moore-trained Hong Kong Vase entrant, Helene Happy Star, closed off smartly to fourth under Derek Leung. 

LONGINES Hong Kong Mile hopeful Able Friend (in black) closes for second in a 1200m barrier trial on Sha Tin��s all-weather track this morning.  Another Mile runner, the John Size-trained Contentment (in white), finishes the trial upsides him in third.
Photo 1:
LONGINES Hong Kong Mile hopeful Able Friend (in black) closes for second in a 1200m barrier trial on Sha Tin��s all-weather track this morning. Another Mile runner, the John Size-trained Contentment (in white), finishes the trial upsides him in third.

LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint runner Not Listenin��tome heads home first in the same trial this morning.
Photo 2:
LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint runner Not Listenin��tome heads home first in the same trial this morning.

LONGINES Hong Kong Mile runner Helene Paragon (orange) finishes fifth in batch 2 this morning, with Sprint contender Amazing Kids (pink/grey) passing the post first and Vase runner Eastern Express (purple) second.
Photo 3:
LONGINES Hong Kong Mile runner Helene Paragon (orange) finishes fifth in batch 2 this morning, with Sprint contender Amazing Kids (pink/grey) passing the post first and Vase runner Eastern Express (purple) second.

 

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