3 minute read

Former champion Macau trainer Gary Moore and his son James were part of a rare training feat last Saturday with both winning Group races 40 minutes apart in different countries.

Not long before Gary Moore treated Perth racegoers to an infectious display of exuberance after Takedown’s win in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes, James Moore was cheering home his fourth Group winner in Macau when Kelowna Star raced away with the G2 Autumn Trophy over 1600m on the sand track Taipa.

Macau race-goers are familiar with Gary Moore’s flamboyant displays from the many years he dominated the local racing scene, winning eight Macau trainer’s titles.

However it was a more reserved James Moore after Kelowna Stars win apart from high fives to assistant trainer Jim McCabe and jockey Martin Wepner.

It was his second Autumn Trophy victory having won the race in his first season as a trainer with Hostwin Donatello in 2014. That win gave James his first Group winner after only being licensed for three months.

Kelowna Star was given a perfect ride by Martin Wepner who parked the son of Sufficient midfield before moving into a striking position from the 600m.

At the 200m Kelowna Star burst clear and raced on for a easy two length win over Bobo So Cute (Andrew Calder), with race favorite Pak Lok Angel (Wayne Smith) third.

After the win Moore stated that he had been supremely confident going into the race despite the classy lineup of more proven sand performers.

“We were very confident everything had just fallen into place. His work has been brilliant and his heart rate monitor came back spot on.

“It was exactly like I felt with Hostwin Donatello two years ago.” Moore said.

“He is not an easy horse to ride you have to really put him into the race for him to be a hope.

“And there is more to come with him. He has come back better as a five year old.”

Earlier Kelowna Star’s younger full brother Power Battery scored in the 25 to 45 rated event over 1350 metres under Andrew Calder for trainer Danny Wong.

For winning jockey Martin Wepner it was the perfect start to his six month contract with the MJC.

Wepner came close on his first night riding at the Taipa track on Friday with a head second on Lucky Winston in the Class 2 & 3 and was stoked at kicking home a Group winner on his first weekend.

“It’s a great start that’s for sure I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Wepner said he went into the race very confident in light of Kelowna Star’s trackwork.

Wepner is South African born and completed his apprenticeship with the SA jockeys Academy before firstly plying his trade in Malaysia.

“I won the Perak Derby in my first couple of weeks after I started riding there and have won a lot of feature races in my 16 years based there.”

Wepner has also had stints in India and rode in Korea for 18 months in 2009 and 2010 winning a total of 49 races there.

• TONY Fung produced another exciting USA import in Evergreen Star who simply destroyed his opposition in the Class 4 over 1050 metres (sand) on Saturday.

Evergreen Star proved a lucky late pickup ride for Luis Corrales after Leo Salles was declared unfit to ride and it was an armchair job for Corrales as soon as the gates opened.

Evergreen Star score by almost six lengths on the line to Cali Champion (Horace Lam), with River God Choi (Frankie Leong) not far away in third.

The Fung stable has been on fire in recent weeks and two other USA imports King Of Real Estate and Winbeauty Infiniti have made big impressions with effortless wins.

Evergreen Star arrived in Macau on a mark of 60 after winning at Gulfstream Park in Florida. On Saturday the son of Sharp Humor (USA) clocked 1.02.5 on a track not riding slick, and did it on the bridle. That was almost a half a second quicker than the Class 3 won by Speed On in a time of 1.02.9.

The gelding is heading to the top of the class and again it underlines the class of horse that has been imported into Macau in the past 12 months at modest outlays.

• Former New Zealand Group 1 place-getter Huka Eagle finally broke through for a well deserved win on Friday night’s turf card.

Huka Eagle was perfectly rated by Andrew Calder to lead throughout before dashing away in the straight for an easy victory in the Class 2 & 3 over 1500 metres.

The Geoff Allendorf prepared five year old had endured a run of four second placings against the likes of Sweet Korean, Sparta, Mister Kaopu and Feast For Eyes.

The step up in trip proved to be a plus for the son of Swiss Ace with the gelding’s time being almost a half second quicker than the other division taken out by Oh So Easy.