Moore has a Field day at Sha Tin trials
Gear changes were very much the flavour of the morning at the two all-weather barrier trials at Sha Tin yesterday where John Moore's Rice Field won the opening heat with the blinkers applied for the first time.
The English import never raced in the blinkers before arriving but, following three mediocre performances, Moore (pictured) opted to apply the blinkers and it paid dividends.
Rice Field jumped reasonably well out of the gates but was quickly ridden along by Olivier Doleuze to attain the lead.
Caspar Fownes-trained maiden Toy Quest showed a lot more zest with the side winkers applied. In the past, he has had the hood and the visor applied but never delivered.
John Size's Zabebe was given a quiet time from Douglas Whyte from start to finish.
He could have gone on to win the trial if allowed a little rein.
David Hall's Lucky Marauding (seventh) was ridden very patiently by Shane Dye and he, too, could have ended much closer than his official finishing position.
Ricky Yiu Poon-fie won the second trial with Daneman Hill.
He had been subject to a couple of betting plunges in recent starts, and based on this sort of work it is not hard to see why. He looks fit and well and should break through in the near future.
Fownes's Maverick had the blinkers applied for the first time and he went to the line under a nice hold from Dye. There is no doubt the gear change made him more focused for the task in hand and he warrants respect when he next steps out.
Fownes's new recruit Sixty Seconds settled slightly worse than midfield, but came home strongly in the final 400m.
He has settled into his new stable superbly and this was a positive piece of work.
ONES TO NOTE:
Toy Quest, Lucky Marauding,
Daneman Hill.
