John Moore already has a host of Group One Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby hopefuls, but possibly the least-heralded of his nominations burst into calculations for the big race with a brilliant first-up win at Happy Valley last night.
Dennis Yip Chor-hung trained a treble and three jockeys had doubles, but it was Military Attack who stole the show in the last race when Darren Beadman drove him to an authoritative and ratings-boosting Class Two win over 1,650m.
Moore has five horses in Sunday's Hong Kong Classic Cup (1,800m), the traditional lead-up to the Derby (March 18), but with Military Attack starting off a mark of 89, the trainer preferred a run at the Valley, where he had trialled impressively.
'We knew he'd be competitive if he ran up to that trial,' Moore said. 'He'll run again on March 4 over 1,800m and then on to the Derby. Out of the four-year-olds we bought, he was the one with the most upside. His record was good, but there was still improvement there.'
Beadman was talking up the import's toughness after the win.
'He's got a bit of spunk about him, but he is also a tough horse,' he said. 'I made him run through to the line, and sometimes the English horses feel that, but he stood up to it. John had the right idea to bring him here and trial him because he knew where he was tonight.'