Four Aces and Able Choice make Moore the griffin master
It was a case of that was then, this is now for trainer John Moore as he showed off the first of his outstanding new griffins and the cream of the last crop at Sha Tin yesterday.
Moore saddled up the very impressive winner of this season's first griffin event, Four Aces (Glyn Schofield) in the opener, then made bookends of the meeting, with 2002 champion griffin Able Choice streaking away with the final event under Gerald Mosse.
Moore said he hoped Able Choice's return with no ill-effect from his failed attempts in top-class three-year-old races in Australia had deflected criticism of his campaign Down Under.
Still unbeaten in four starts in Hong Kong, Able Choice had four starts in Melbourne without a win but managed a second placing at Moonee Valley and a fourth at Flemington in top-grade company before the gelding trained off and lost all form.
The form around those races has since proved high class, and the horse he relegated to third at Moonee Valley, Yell, came out to win a Group Two race against older sprinters there on Thursday night.
'I think it was a good thing for the horse's maturity, but unfortunately his constitution didn't stand it and he went over the top,' Moore said. 'We have learned a few things from the trips and as you can see today, it has done him no harm at all.
'There is a school of thought that the trip was a mistake but I certainly hope the people in Hong Kong racing who believe that see it differently after watching Able Choice win this. I would hope that they would remain open-minded to the same kind of adventure in the future because I would certainly love to do it again if I had the right horse.'
Suspended jockey Christophe Soumillon, who had been riding Able Choice in his work, was deeply disappointed to miss yesterday's ride. 'Christophe was on him every day and told me the horse was going better and better, so I am not surprised to see him win so well,' Moore said.
He said yesterday's race, which was only added to the programme in recent weeks, had been the right race at the right time 'but where we go now is difficult'.
'I'll have to look at the programme and find another Class One he's eligible for because I am not in a hurry to run Able Choice in the top sprints just yet,' he said. 'I want to take my time with him, let him win through the classes but he'll take himself there quickly enough I think.'
Mosse was also highly impressed with Able Choice and said he had the makings of a truly top-class horse. 'He feels very, very good,' Mosse said. 'I don't know if he is ready just yet for the likes of All Thrills Too but later at 1,200 metres, 1,400 metres, I think this is a top-class horse.'
Four Aces has a long way to go to emulate Able Choice but gave every indication he was on that path when he toyed with the first griffin field of the season yesterday.
'He had done everything right on the track and in trials and now he has produced it on race day,' Moore said after the colt scored by 4.5 lengths. 'I don't want to compare him with specific horses, but I can tell you he has the same stamp about him as other top-grade griffins that I've had.'
A Magic Million sale purchase - like Able Choice and top sprinter Anabatik - Four Aces was bought in part due to Moore's brother, former jockey and now Macau trainer, Gary.
'Gary has a liking for the sire, Encosta de Lago. We were at the sale at the Gold Coast and Gary saw this horse, liked him and reminded me he thought we should buy one by the stallion,' Moore recalled.
'It was the only Encosta de Lago in the sale, so we did.'
