Moore in line for another 'vintage' day
Today's chapter in John Moore's 'vintage season' will see him further narrow the gap between himself and championship leader John Size at Sha Tin, if the early punters have got it right.
The day-before shoppers made four of Moore's horses favourite on last night's opening markets, compared to one of Size's - Super Honey at $28 in the sixth event, a Class Four over 1,600 metres.
If that betting trend translated accurately into winners, Size would emerge from the afternoon's racing with his lead reduced from three to one in the race to be premier trainer for 2005-06 - a title Size has won three times in four seasons but which Moore has won on five occasions.
The Moore-trained Rice Field is surprisingly-short at $31 favourite in the third event, a Class One handicap over 1,600m. Irish-bred will be ridden by seven-pound claiming apprentice Alex Lai Hoi-wing, with whom Moore has struck up a profitable association in recent weeks.
The consistent Terraferma is $43 favourite in an open betting race in the fifth event. Here the piloting duties have fallen to comeback apprentice Thomas Yeung Kai-tong, who claims the full 10 pounds.
Front page feature tip Joyful Winner is considered unbeatable by the pre-post pundits and has come up favourite at $17 for the Chairman's Trophy (Race Seven). The El Moxie gelding has never contested a weight-for-age race but most of his rivals, with the exception of second elect Dave's Best, are in the same bracket.
Moore's Irish-bred four-year-old Amsterdam (Eric Saint-Martin) is also favourite in the final event at $51. The Danehill gelding, who is yet to win in 12 Hong Kong starts, was fifth to Best Power last start at Happy Valley for Christophe Soumillon.
