Kyara scores but Moore's mind is on Sevens fun
Even winning the major prize of the day did nothing to assuage John Moore's disappointment at being at Sha Tin yesterday instead of at the Hong Kong Stadium for the Hong Kong Sevens, and he used the occasion as an ad hoc soap box.
Moore teamed up with lightweight local Eddy Lai Wai-ming and Kyara finally broke through in the Class One Castle Peak Bay Handicap (1,400m), but the reigning champion trainer's concentration was elsewhere.
'I don't understand why this meeting has to be a Sunday. If it was run on Saturday, everyone could be at the Rugby Sevens now,' said Moore who pointed out the absence from the meeting of chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht- Bresges and club chairman, Brian Stevenson, who was elsewhere filling his role as Hong Kong's rugby supremo. 'The Sevens is a big event, an institution and part of the Hong Kong culture. I've always been a staunch supporter of it and it's just disappointing that we can't organise things so that everyone can enjoy the rugby as well as the racing on the same weekend.'
Punters appeared to agree, with the day's final figures flat against last year's comparison meeting, and missing what has been a standard double digit increase most of this season.
Nevertheless, Moore was pleased to see Kyara lodge another victory after a run of frustrating defeats. The gelding had won his second run under Moore in June last year, but a combination of awkward manners and chequered runs had blighted his 10 runs since, which had included a second, three fourths and four fifths.
'It was long overdue for him to win one. He's a horse who can't stop and start in races and he's had that a few times and a few where he hasn't had clear runs but he was on his best behaviour today and got the right pace,' said Moore, who pointed out the three placegetters had come from the rear of the field, so the tempo had been ideal for Kyara's run on style.
