Sun sets on Moore’s storied Hong Kong career

The most successful trainer in Hong Kong history John Moore has officially ended his tenure in the city after 35 years, with the Sydney-bound handler striking out at Happy Valley last night.

Moore, who has reached the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s mandatory retirement age of 70, won 1,735 Hong Kong races from when he took over his father George’s stables in mid-1985 up to last night, with his horses earning over HK$2.1 billion and taking some of the biggest features in town.

Local trainer Ricky Yiu, best known for preparing champion sprinters Fairy King Prawn (Danehill), Sacred Kingdom (Encosta De Lago) and Amber Sky (Exceed And Excel) and a regular presence at the Australian and New Zealand sales, brought up his first trainers’ championship and the first for a Hongkonger since Dennis Yip’s famous success in 2012-13. His 67 wins was enough to see off Tony Cruz (65) and Francis Lui (63) with Moore fourth on 57.

Zac Purton, who had already secured his fourth jockeys’ title on Sunday, rode a double at what was the last meeting in Hong Kong until September 5. He finished the season on 147 wins, with 101 seconds and 100 thirds; Joao Moreira (138) and Karis Teetan (93) filled second and third.