Ryan Moore laid down a marker for his stint in Hong Kong next year with a double at Sha Tin’s International meeting yesterday.
The British jockey partnered Highland Reel to hand Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien his first winner in the Special Administrative Region when the three-year-old colt held off the challenge of defending Hong Kong Vase champion Flintshire.
Moore then drove home the first of Japan’s two wins on the Dh39 million card when he came through the pack on Maurice to take the Hong Kong Mile.
It was Maurice’s third successive Group 1 victory and although feeling the effects of his first international race, he was just too good for local runner Giant Treasure and a tiring favourite Able Friend, who survived a pre-race injury scare to take his chance.
Moore has taken up a six-week contract with the Hong Kong Jockey Club from January 17 and will have won a legion of new fans by taking down Able Friend, Hong Kong’s highest-rated horse.
On the night, Moore got the better of local hero Joao Moreira, the Brazilian jockey who is his main rival for the accolade of world’s best jockey and who won the Sprint aboard Peniaphobia.
Both jockeys, however, may have been upstaged for ride of the night when Japan’s Yutake Take guided A Shin Hikari to a dominant victory in the Hong Kong Cup.
Take got his fractions spot on from the front and the grey son of Japanese sire Deep Impact held off compatriot Nuovo Record to deny Moore a three-timer. It was A Shin Hikari’s first trip abroad but Take believes it was an experience that could warrant further international travel.
“The horse sometimes has a difficult temperament, but he’s in good form so I thought he had a very good chance,” he told reporters. “Traveling to Hong Kong will be very suitable for him in the future.”
Peniaphobia went one place better than when Aerovelocity edged him out by a neck in the Sprint 12 months ago, and showed extraordinary early speed to become a rare winner from the widest gate.
Peniaphobia was runner-up in Meydan’s Al Quoz Sprint in March to Sole Power, who finished a laboured 11th on his fourth unsuccessful attempt in Hong Kong, and a rematch in the UAE is on the cards.
“We’ll definitely enter for Dubai and maybe think about England as well,” trainer Tony Cruz said.
For jockey Chris Hayes it was a first taste of action at Sha Tin, and he was looking forward to partnering Sole Power on Super Saturday ahead of a defence of his Al Quoz Sprint crown.
“He is probably better off on a straight track and does not like the hustle and bustle of going around a bend,” he said. “He ran a similar race last year and went on to win in Dubai.”
Another horse who could be on course for World Cup night is Dariyan, who put up a huge run to finish third in the Vase under Christophe Soumillon.
For much of the 2,400 metres of the race, Dariyan had to deal with Cannock Chase leaning on him on his outside. As such it is a performance that can be rated significantly higher.
It was only the seventh career run for the son of French Derby winner Shamardal and trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre sent Dolniya to Meydan in March to win the Dubai Sheema Classic from Flintshire
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