Moore aiming high with Sport Genius
Trainer Nick Moore has mapped out an ambitious program for his exciting four year Sport Genius (Ocean Park) who showed great determination in scoring a last-stride win over the hot favorite Diamond Moonlight (The Wow Signal), in Saturday’s Class 3 over 1050 metres on the all-weather surface.
With regular rider Luis Corrales in the saddle, Sport Genius – after a tardy beginning – soon mustered speed to sit at the girth of Diamond Moonlight. It was obvious before the turn that it was just a two-horse affair with the pair singling out for a thrilling battle over the final 200 metres. Sport Genius, the much smaller of the two horses, dug deep to dive late for a head victory on the line.
It was a much-relieved Nick Moore after the race and the rookie trainer announced that he will be aiming the son of the 2012 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner towards the Four-Year-Old Classics, such as the Derby Trial (Listed, 1500m) and the Macau Guineas (Listed, 1500m).
“He really got to the line well, it was a super effort,” he said. “It was the first time with the blinkers and he didn’t rev up, he was nice and relaxed in the run and found plenty. If you look at the race, watch how he picked up when he switched to his left lead; that’s his weapon. He really got into his work after that
“Before the race of course we knew the favourite Diamond Moonlight was going to be very hard to toss. He bolted in on the rain-affected sand last start and his times for the distance were far superior to my horse. But my little man is a real tough little fighter and he is looking to go further.”
Whilst it might seem a little ambitious at the present, Moore is optimistic that Sport Genius is the type of horse that could give him his second Macau Guineas: “It’s a good way off yet but I do think he has all the qualities it takes for a race like the Guineas. He is not a great beginner but he has good speed to put himself into the race and he knows where the post is.”
With a team of 13 horses in his yard at present Moore is anxiously awaiting for the Covid-19 travel restrictions to be eased.
“I’ve got 13 at the moment and have two in Australia waiting to come and one in the UK, but of course we just have to be patient,” he said. “Hopefully I can get the team up to 20 by the end of the season, which would be good in these difficult times we are going through.”
Moore achieved the rare feat of winning a Group 1 race in his debut season as trainer with Hostwin Saturn (Stratum) taking out the Macau Guineas back in June. With his small team, Moore only had a total of 68 runners for the whole of last season for 13 winners and 18 placings. His win strike rate of 19 per cent and place percentage of 46 per cent was the best strike rate of any trainer; Sport Genius was his only runner on Saturday.
Former dual Group winner Kelowna Star (Sufficient) bounced back to his best with a brilliant win in Saturday’s Class 1 & 2 over 1510 metres under Frenchman J B Hamel, to open the term’s account for last season’s champion trainer Tony Fung.
In a race run at a good tempo, Kelowna Star was a good ten lengths back in second-last place for most of the run. He was under a hard ride coming to the turn and was just starting to tack onto the field, but once in the straight, Hamel brought the nine-year-old to the extreme outside and he literally sprouted wings with a dazzling turn of foot to run right over the top of his rivals.
At the line it was Kelowna Star by one and three-quarters from Fasuba (Power), with Tuhao Choice (Jakkalberry) in third.
In his four-year-old days with James Moore, Kelowna Star was just that; a real star in taking out the Four-Year-Old Prelude (Listed, 1500m) and the Macau Guineas, then later in the year winning the first of his back-to-back wins in the Autumn Trophy (Listed, 1600m).
Age takes its toll on us all and Kelowna Star was no exception. The gelding’s form tapered off with wins far and few between until June this year, when he downed a decent Class 1 & 2 field over 1500 metres on the turf before a couple of well-below-par efforts again.
On Saturday, however, it was the old Kelowna Star that stepped up to the mark again and produced his same old brilliant finish.
Danny Wong’s Number Zero (Showcasing) made it four wins from his last six runs with a sterling effort to win Saturday’s Class 3 over 1510 metres on a rain-soaked sand surface, after the Taipa racetrack was inundated with very heavy rain throughout the afternoon.
Ridden by the underrated C F (Charlie) Chan, Number Zero was caught in a difficult spot wide from gate 12 as the field went into the back; to add to his troubles Number Zero picked up the bit and began to race fiercely. Chan took advantage of the straight stretch in the back to loop the field, and found himself on the outside of the leader Still So Cute (Thewayyouare) as they swung the circle from the 600 metres to the home turn.
The five-year-old then showed great courage to stave off a late run by Pearl Lucky (Red Giant) to win by three quarters of a length, with Beautiful Eighteen (Epaulette) in third.
Number Zero has been a good buy for his owners Cheng Yan Tung, Wang Chang Gui and Lam Kwun Sang Ovo, and is another of the Showcasing (Oasis Dream) breed that have shown a liking for the Macau sand surface; although on Saturday, he really showed his versatility with wins now on the turf on both good and heavy tracks as well as the all-weather.
With only seven runs under his belt the gelding has posted four wins and one second spot and has already picked up over HKD$600,000 (approx. AUD$106,600) for connections.