Moore provides farewell pointers

GARY Moore's glittering and sometimes turbulent 30-year riding career ends shortly after 7.45 pm on tonight's big Macau International Jockeys Invitation Cup and Bowl card.

It is the end of an era and the last time the greatest showman Hong Kong or Macau racing has seen will ride professionally.

Moore has wowed the public on both sides of the Pearl River but beneath that desire to entertain there is also a steely professionalism once the gates burst open.

Seven Hong Kong championships, one French title, an Arc de Triomphe, one French and two Hong Kong Derbies, an English and French 1,000 Guineas and 20 Group One triumphs worldwide pay eloquent testimony to that.

'I'd love to go out on a winner and feel that Montana Max in the second event is my best chance,' Moore said yesterday.

'He's much better on fast ground and has been trained for this race. The distance will suit and he's really well in himself.

'He's not a good thing as he can be a bit of a character and I'm very afraid of Drowse in the race. But he is in good form for this and I'm hopeful.' Moore's other mounts are Cullen Castle for Joe Murphy in the Macau International Jockeys Invitation Bowl, K. H. Lei's First Horse in the Invitation Cup and he weighs out for one final time on First Honour for his brother-in-law and top Taipa trainer, Peter Leyshan, in the ninth.

'I'm a bit worried that Cullen Castle will struggle against the quality of opposition he faces in the Bowl while First Horse can't be guaranteed to see out the 1,800 metres in the Cup,' added Moore, who promised to give the public a rundown of his mounts when he announced his retirement six days ago.

First Honour has failed to fire so far this season leaving Moore to conclude: 'I don't think I'm going to do a Tony Cruz and make my last ride a winning one. Montana Max looks my best chance of giving the public a winner.'