Ryan Moore

A total of 39 horses representing Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland and France were entered and barriers drawn Thursday morning for Sunday's HK$95 million Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse. Although Boniface Ho's Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) has yet to win a race at Group 1 level--he is a multiple Group 2 winner in Australia--he is one of the marquee horses of this year's HKIR, having arrived in Hong Kong on the back of a dominating victory in the A$15-million The Everest at...

One of the more anticipated mornings leading up to the Longines Hong Kong International Races comes midweek, when the horses representing Japan are allowed to flex their muscle. Four of the six runners that will fly the Japanese flag in three of Sunday's four races did just that Wednesday morning at Sha Tin. Japan fields three of the eight entrants for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, a race won by its team in three of the last five years. Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will try to give...

The Longines International Jockeys' Championship, set for Wednesday evening at iconic Happy Valley Racecourse, marks the true start of Hong Kong International Races week, as 12 of the world's top jockey's compete for the HK$500,000 winner's share of the HK$800,000 on offer. Though the crowds won't be there, owing to an uptick in the number of COVID cases over the last few weeks, six locally based riders will face a half-dozen of their peers that have jetted in from Europe, with a revised format in the distribution of mounts that...

Frankie Dettori has been crowned the 2020 Longines World's Best Jockey, the third year in a row the Italian has received the accolade. Dettori, who also won the award in 2015, captured five of the world's Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races in 2020, aboard Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Gold Cup and Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup S.; Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the St James's Palace S. and Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois; and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth...

British jockeys may yet be exempt from two weeks of self-isolation after competing at ParisLongchamp on Arc Weekend Oct. 3-4. The British Horseracing Authority is making a submission to Public Health England on Tuesday. Currently due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, anyone traveling back from France is required to self-isolate for seven days under the elite sportsperson's exemption rather than the normal fortnight. If the exemption is allowed, stable staff and trainers would also be included along with jockeys. If the exemption is not granted, many high profile riders would...

Saturday's Close Brothers Motor Finance EBF Stallions Fillies' Novice S. looked there for the taking for Khalid Abdullah's Monsoon Moon (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and the half-sister to last year's G1 St Leger winner Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was in uncompromising mood as she duly earned TDN Rising Star status over Newmarket's mile. Always travelling strongly under Ryan Moore tracking the early pace, the 2-5 favourite who was third on debut behind TDN Rising Star Love Is You (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) at Ascot a fortnight previously was still full of running...

Overseas jockeys will be permitted to bypass Ireland's 14-day quarantine requirement to ride on Group 1 cards, with the Irish government granting an exemption for elite athletes and sportspeople ahead of Irish Champions Weekend next weekend. Irish jockeys traveling overseas to ride in Group 1s will also be exempt from quarantine upon return. "We have had a change in the government protocols concerning sportspeople and athletes published today, but it is very much on a case-by-case basis," confirmed Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Officer Brian Kavanagh. "It will be limited...

Ryan Moore, who rides first call for Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O'Brien, has entered quarantine in Ireland as of last Saturday and will be riding in Ireland at Irish Champions Weekend on Sept. 12-13. These will be Moore's first rides in Ireland in 2020, as COVID-19 has kept him in the UK earlier in the season. "As people travelling from the UK to Ireland currently have to quarantine on arrival for 14 days, I flew over immediately after racing at Goodwood last Saturday afternoon so that I could ride at the...

Some stellar fillies have crossed York's Knavesmire down the years, but the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is up there with the best after her saunter through Thursday's G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks. With an epic G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the offing in six weeks' time, there will be few who will sleep easy with Ballydoyle's leading prospect looming large on the horizon. While her performances in the June 7 Newmarket and July 4 Epsom Classics left none in any doubt...

Khalid Abdullah's Tilsit (First Defence) followed up a June 4 debut second at Newcastle with a breakthrough score--by a whopping 19 lengths--back there June 27 and survived a lengthy stewards' enquiry to be confirmed the winner of Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood. The 10-1 chance was steadied to race in third behind a modest tempo set by My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and remained there through halfway in this turf bow. Quickening to launch his challenge at the quarter-mile marker, he edged in front entering the final eighth,...

Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), fresh from a thrilling victory in Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane earlier this month, doubled up in battling fashion and continued to lead the way for the freshman stable of Donnacha O'Brien with a second Group 1 success in Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau S. at Goodwood. Accepting a tow from Aidan O'Brien trainee and G1 Mackinnon S. victress Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) into the straight, the 11-4 chance inched closer to launch her challenge at the quarter-mile marker and was driven out once...

Off the board in three starts since claiming last term's G2 Champions Juvenile S. at Leopardstown, Coolmore's Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was one of the main closers when sixth in last month's G1 Epsom Derby and stepped back up to the plate to gain compensation in Thursday's G3 John Pearce Racing Gordon S. at Goodwood. Steadied off the clear leader in fourth after an alert getaway, the 9-2 chance was coaxed forward once leaving the three-furlong marker behind and swooped late under a power drive to provide a third success...