By Alan Carasso
Two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}), a latest second when looking for the three-peat in the G1 FWD Champions Mile, will remain in training for an 8-year-old season, owner Patrick Kwok tweeted May 7.
“BEAUTY GENERATION will stay on in training in Hong Kong next season. With the retirement of his legendary trainer John Moore, our champ BG will move to David Hayes in 2020/21,” the Beauty Stable tweeted Thursday.
The former Montaigne, Group 1-placed in Australia under the care of Anthony Cummings, was reinvented by Moore as a miler and the NZ$60,000 Karaka sale graduate has since become the first in Hong Kong history to eclipse HK$100 million in career earnings while posting a record-tying 18 local victories, eight at Group 1 level. Hayes is set for a return to Hong Kong, having won two trainers' premierships between 1996 and 2005. Hayes's nephew Tom Dabernig and his son Ben will continue training out of Lindsay Park in rural Victoria.
Mr Stunning Retired…
Mr Stunning (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) has officially been retired from racing at age seven. The A$110,000 salestopper when offered as a weanling at the Inglis Great Southern Sale in 2013, the son of With Fervour (Dayjur) fetched NZ$250,000 at the Karaka sale in 2014 and was originally trained by John Size, for whom he won the 2017 G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint. Turned over to former Size assistant Frankie Lor at the start of the 2018/2019 season, he joined the likes of Falvelon (Aus) (Alannon {Aus}), Silent Witness (Aus) (El Moxie) and Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) as back-to-back winners of the Sprint two years ago and closed his career on a high with a 20-1 upset of the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize Apr. 26. Mr Stunning retires with a record of 12-7-4 from 30 starts and earnings of US$7,674,105.
Moreira In For the Fight…
Joao Moreira, once 11 winners clear of Zac Purton on the Hong Kong jockeys' table, now faces a deficit, as the Australian posted a five-timer at Happy Valley this past Wednesday while Moreira was shut out. But the 'Magic Man' won't go down without a battle.
“It's not over yet,” Moreira told HKJC's David Morgan after Friday morning's barrier trials. “I've got some support and some nice rides coming up.
He continued, “There's no doubt that what Zac did on Wednesday was fantastic. He has proven he's a world-class jockey and nobody should be surprised that he's in front at the moment, he's put himself in a much more comfortable situation getting a few winners ahead of me. But I don't think people should doubt me because I have faith in myself. I know I've got it too, I've got the skills and abilities and I know what I'm doing. I'm very strong mentally and I'll be doing my best all the way to the end.”
Moreira has a full book of 10 rides at Sha Tin, compared to Purton's seven.
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