Designs On Rome could have an eye on Dubai next year

Having narrowly beaten Military Attack in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong, the horse has put down an early marker for the 2015 World Cup, writes Geoffrey Riddle.

Tommy Berry rides Designs On Rometo the finish line ahead of Joao Moreira riding Military Attack at the Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong on Sunday. Anthony Wallace / AFP

Designs On Rome put down an early marker for the 2015 Dubai World Cup with a battling performance in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Local trainer John Moore saddled the first two home in the international Group 1 event, as Designs on Rome outpointed Dubai World Cup 10th Military Attack by a neck.

Mike De Kock’s Vercingetorix was just over two lengths back in third, while stablemate Sanshaawes was outclassed in ninth of the ten runners, one place behind Dubai Sheema Classic fifth Dominant, who was also trained by Moore.

Designs On Rome was only the third horse to tack on the QEII Cup to a win in the Hong Kong Derby, and is an intended runner in the Group 1 Champions & Chater Cup over 2,400 metres next month.

After that his campaign reportedly will be geared towards Dubai next year.

For Tommy Berry, the jockey of Design On Rome, it was his second consecutive victory in the $HK14 million (Dh6.63m) contest after he scored on Military Attack 12 months ago.

“There was a little bit of a scare when Military Attack got up on the inside but you always know I’ve got a little bit more left in the tank when I haven’t pulled the stick through to the right hand because he finds a little bit more when I do,” Berry said. “He loves a dogfight this horse. I’ll be surprised the day he gets beat because he never gives up.”

Military Attack and Vercingetorix could well meet next month in the International Cup at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore.

De Kock was at the sales in South Africa and had no complaints at Vercingetorix’s second career defeat.

“It wasn’t the clearest run and he got baulked at a crucial stage,” he said by phone. “It was a good performance, however, but the winner looks very smart.”

Anthony Delpech was on board Vercingetorix due to Christophe Soumillon being required to ride Cirrus Des Aigles in the Prix Ganay in Paris, and the South African jockey restrained his mount in midfield on the rail behind the pace-setting Same World, another of Moore’s four runners.

Sanshaawes was placed in third by Olivier Doleuze, and had taken second spot by halfway of the 2,000-metre race when Designs On Rome was still third from last.

Berry bided his time and 700 metres from the line he galvanised his mount but the pair had to race four wide around the final turn, where Vercingetorix was short of room. It allowed Military Attack the opportunity to skip up the rail under Joao Moreira and with 200 metres to go it appeared a repeat of last year’s triumph was likely.

Designs On Rome then loomed up alongside his stablemate and as the two horses pulled clear of Vercingetorix, Designs On Rome broke his rival just before the line.

“It looked like he was held up but really he had his chance,” Delpech told the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “I’m not sure he quite gets the ten furlongs in this class. He had his opportunity to get to them in the straight. I think he ran as well as he could have.”

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