JOHN Moore was a relieved man yesterday after Smartlord had swooped to land the feature event at Sha Tin, the Class Two Peninsula Cup over 1,400 metres.
The five-year-old's 1.5-length victory over All The Glory ended a 45-runner barren streak for the former multiple champion trainer, who handles the gelding for Legislative Council member James Tien Pei-chun.
'I'm so pleased to get that one on the board, and I'm especially delighted to train a Cup winner for James Tien,' said Moore after Smartlord's win, which took the trainer into double figures for the year.
Smartlord was given a tremendous ride by Shane Dye, who coolly bided his time in the straight before unleashing his mount with a powerful run in the final 200 metres. The gelding powered past All The Glory, who was always up with the pace.
Moore paid tribute to Dye after the race, saying: 'That's how you have to ride him, take him up the back of other horses and keep him covered up. Shane did the job perfectly.'
The trainer hopes that Smartlord's victory will herald a purple patch for the stable, which has several promising youngsters brought in from Australia. 'Hopefully this will be the turning point of the season for me,' he said.