Longines Hong Kong Mile 2014 - South China Morning Post

Able Friend a great - but is he best of the best?

Sat, 20 Dec 2014 12:30:00 +0000

The euphoria that accompanied Able Friend's demolition job in last week's Longines Hong Kong Mile has seen the John Moore-trained galloper tagged Hong Kong's highest-rated horse of all time. But a more dispassionate look through history puts the gelding's remarkable win into a more balanced perspective. According to Jockey Club senior handicapper Nigel Gray, Able Friend will be elevated to "126 or 127" on the world rankings. It's higher than either Sacred Kingdom or Good Ba Ba and he will...

Spencer's "retirement" the racing non-story of the year

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 11:15:30 +0000

Follow @AndrewNJHawkins Has there ever been a more short-lived retirement than that of Irish jockey Jamie Spencer on the weekend? It officially lasted about seven hours and 52...

Able Friend is the best I've ridden: Joao Moreira

Sun, 14 Dec 2014 16:15:00 +0000

When the Joao Moreira declared Able Friend the best horse he'd ever sat on yesterday, he might just as well have said the sun rises in the east because he hadn't even passed the post in the Longines Hong Kong Mile and all 74,000 people at Sha Tin already knew that. The John Moore-trained five-year-old had just won the Mile as he was expected to, but few horses are expected to win international Group One races as he did. So soft was the victory by more than four lengths over Gold-Fun (Douglas...

Able Friend takes the baton from Able One for Cornel Li

Sun, 14 Dec 2014 16:00:15 +0000

How do you replace a retired star? With a new superstar and incredibly, John Moore's "dream owner", Dr Cornel Li Fook-kwan appears to have done exactly that with Able Friend. The mood at Sha Tin was one of shock three years ago when Able One took out the Hong Kong Mile at 65-1 as a nine-year-old and it was a mood replicated for very different reasons when Able Friend made a complete mess of yesterday's race with most fans cheering this time. This time it was shock and awe, not shock and...

Ambitious Dragon withdrawn from the Hong Kong Mile

Sun, 14 Dec 2014 02:06:52 +0000

A philosophical Tony Millard mused that it was "just the way it goes" after his champion miler Ambitious Dragon was withdrawn from the Longines Hong Kong Mile this morning. It had been touch-and-go all week as to whether the 2012 Mile winner would line up in the HK$23 million race, but Millard said there was no other decision that could be made after he trotted up lame this morning. "In the end, the vet didn't have to make the call - we withdrew him," the trainer said. "It's been a...

Jamie Spencer aiming to go out in storming fashion in Hong Kong Mile

Sat, 13 Dec 2014 17:00:30 +0000

Jamie Spencer has achieved plenty in his riding career, and he can bring the curtain down in style with victory on Trade Storm in today's Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin. Spencer's shock retirement at the relatively young age of 34 has been one of the stories of the year, with the Qatar Racing stable jockey set to continue his association with Sheikh Fahad al-Thani's outfit in a management role. It would be a fitting end to a stellar career, though, if Spencer could add a Hong Kong feature to...

Able Friend to repel the Japanese invasion

Sat, 13 Dec 2014 14:30:00 +0000

Able Friend may have recent history on his side and won like the hand brake was still applied in the local lead-up, but a wide draw and the wildcard threat of a strong Japanese army means the giant chestnut may have to produce a personal best to clinch the HK$23 million Longines Hong Kong Mile. John Moore's 1,300-pound charge had already begun to fulfill his considerable promise during his four-year-old season, easily winning the Hong Kong Classic Mile and finishing second in a string of high...

Tony Millard confident Ambitious Dragon will pass final vet check for Hong Kong Mile

Sat, 13 Dec 2014 04:00:30 +0000

Ageing stars Ambitious Dragon and Cirrus des Aigles face a race against time to be passed fit for tomorrow’s Longines Hong Kong International Races with the eight-year-olds to undergo veterinary checks on race morning after they have shoes reapplied to troublesome feet. Australian sprinter Buffering capped his remarkable recovery from a painful foot abscess when he was passed fit to run, but Ambitious Dragon and Cirrus des Aigles will again be under the scrutiny of vets tomorrow. I'm feeling...

Purton has an Ace up his sleeve in the Mile

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Champion jockey Zac Purton has already claimed one world-class major with a Japanese partner this season in the Caulfield Cup and he is hoping to strike again on Longines Hong Kong Mile dark horse World Ace after helping him with his barrier manners on Friday. Purton's success in an injury-abbreviated Japan stint this year bore fruit when he picked up Admire Rakti for Melbourne and he jumped at the offer of Yasutoshi Ikee-trained World Ace. He's been missing it in his last few, that's why his...

Mile draw adds intrigue to favourite Able Friend's prospects

Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:15:30 +0000

Barrier draws for major races are often overrated, but post positions for the world's richest mile race yesterday added a touch of spice to Able Friend's quest for super stardom and the HK$23 million Longines Hong Kong Mile. The John Moore-trained five-year-old was set to be the hottest favourite for a December international since Viva Pataca's shock Cup defeat six years ago, until Moore peeled back the label to reveal the outside gate of the 11-horse Mile field. A door was left ajar for his...

Richard Gibson happy with Gold-Fun's underdog status

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 13:00:15 +0000

Twelve months on, trainer Richard Gibson is more comfortable with Gold-Fun as the Longines Hong Kong Mile underdog and the changing conditions at a cooler Sha Tin this past week have lifted his confidence in the giant-killing role. The 2013 Mile favourite was edged out in the final strides by Glorious Days but will be the hunter, not the hunted this time, with Able Friend carrying the tag of the horse to beat after a hollow Jockey Club Mile win. He is a natural athlete and he is fine-tuned for...

Ambitious Dragon under an injury cloud, but Millard confident

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 11:14:08 +0000

Ambitious Dragon faces a race against time to line up in Sunday's Longines Hong Kong Mile after being treated for a possible foot infection on Tuesday morning. However, trainer Tony Millard remains positive that the eight-year-old will make Sunday's race after significant improvement throughout the day. In footage provided by Millard, the 2012 Mile winner looks in good order as he walks around the stables on Tuesday night:

Glorious Days ready for Mile defence

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 05:06:58 +0000

Glorious Days is on track to defend his Hong Kong Mile crown after a trial on Friday that jockey Mirco Demuro described as "comfortable and easy". John Size-trained Glorious Days finished fourth under a hold behind Ricky Yiu Poon-fai's Po Ching Treasure.

'Vintage year' for local Mile aspirants, led by Able Friend

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 13:25:59 +0000

The Group One Longines Hong Kong Mile has emerged as the toughest of the four international day features to win for visitors, but it has not stopped Japan throwing four runners at the HK$23 million event in what seems a vintage year for locals at the distance. John Moore's wonder horse Able Friend should start a dominant favourite, but he will be joined by two-time Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon, who won the race two years ago, and in-form reigning Champion Miler of the Year Gold-Fun. Throw...

Hong Kong Mile field: Able Friend to lead resistance against Japanese

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 08:07:24 +0000

A total of four Japanese-trained runners will try their luck in the HK$23 million Longines Hong Kong Mile, in which Able Friend’s recent one-sided victory in the prelude should make him a short-priced favourite. Able Friend leads a strong home contingent, which also includes the last two winners of the race, Glorious Days (2013) and Ambitious Dragon (2012), as well as Hong Kong’s champion miler of last season Gold-Fun, who was runner-up in the race last year. Qatari-owned globetrotter Trade...

Able Friend throws down gauntlet with Mile rout

Sun, 23 Nov 2014 15:45:15 +0000

Able Friend may have left potential overseas rivals for international day reconsidering travel plans as the 1,300-pound beast monstered his opposition in the Group Two Jockey Club Mile with a show stopping performance at Sha Tin yesterday. The scary part is that the still-underdone chestnut can only get better heading towards the Hong Kong Mile after one of the most dominant and effortless big race victories in recent memory. "There doesn't have to much improvement," beaming jockey Joao Moreira...