Moore eyes 150th Melbourne Cup

Australian John Moore, one of Hong Kong’s leading trainers and son of one of Australia’s greatest jockeys, the late George Moore, has bought a horse from the Aga Khan in Europe, with the 150th Melbourne Cup his ultimate target for next year.

With international attention on Hong Kong in the lead-in to Sunday’s four Group 1 races at the Cathay Pacific International meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday, Moore told Alan Aitken of the South China Morning Post that the horse, Beheshtam, was a rising four-year-old (by Northern Hemisphere time).

“My agent in the UK recommended that Beheshtam would be an ideal Melbourne Cup horse if I had a client who was interested, so I looked at his pedigree and his form and I went ahead and bought him for the same syndicate that owns Collection,” Moore said. ”He has won up to 2600 metres in France and he is in quarantine now with a (Hong Kong) Derby campaign the first target.”

Beheshtam (Ch c 2006, Peintre Celebre (USA)-Behkara (IRE), by Kris (GB)) was trained at Chantilly by Alain de Royer-Dupre. His limited career has resulted in two wins from six races – his most recent start was 12th behind the champion Sea The Stars in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.

Collection, also by Peintre Celebre, won the Group 1 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) last year and Moore said then he would send him to Melbourne for the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), Australia’s weight-for-age championship, at Moonee Valley in October. But he changed his mind and has prepared Collection him for the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m), worth $HK20 million (about $A3 million) on Sunday, for which he is a pronounced favourite ahead of English galloper Presvis, trained by Luca Cumani – Cumani, of course, has a Melbourne Cup connection, finishing second with Purple Moon in 2007 and Bauer in 2008.

“We’ll see how he (Beheshtam) works out here first, then the Melbourne Cup could be on his agenda later,” Moore said. “I’ve always said I’d love to go back and win one of the big ones in Australia, and he might be the horse.”

Hall Of Famer George Moore is regarded as one of Australia’s greats and, with another member of the Hall Of Fame, the late Scobie Breasley, the best rider never to win the Cup. After Moore snr retired from riding he trained in Hong Kong, and John Moore took over from him in 1985. Moore jnr has been leading trainer five times, and last season his horses earned $HK100 million (about $A15 million on today’s exchange rates).

If Beheshtam comes to Australia, Collection could come for the Cox Plate as part of a package that might also include Happy Zero, one of the main chances in the Group 1 $HK16 million International Mile (1600m) on Sunday. Moore had suggested he would be a travelling partner last year for Collection.

Darren Beadman, one of Australia’s champion riders of the past two decades and Moore’s retained rider in Hong Kong, would be expected to make the trip with them. He has won Melbourne Cups (Kingston Rule, 1990, and Saintly, 1996) and a Cox Plate (Saintly, 1996).

He will ride Moore’s four - Happy Zero, Collection, Viva Pataca (the $14HK million G1 Vase, 2400m) and Inspiration (the $HK12 million G1 Sprint, 1200m) – on Sunday.

Australia’s runners in the Sprint – All Silent (Nick Hall), Apache Cat (Damien Oliver) and Scenic Blast (Steven Arnold) - and Mile entrant Racing To Win (Hugh Bowman) have all worked well at Sha Tin this week.

The Hong Kong Carnival prelude at Happy Valley tonight features a three-race international jockeys’ invitation series. Sydney’s premier rider Hugh Bowman is Australia’s representative, although most eyes will be on the Canadian jockey Chantal Sutherland, who already has turned heads since she arrived in Hong Kong.

Sutherland, who has ridden more than 450 winners, combines her career in the saddle with modelling. Sutherland is currently second on the Woodbine jockeys’ premiership.