John Moore’s final race meeting as a trainer in Hong Kong is over as the local season draws to a close on Wednesday.
He told scmp.com, “I’ll miss everything about Hong Kong racing.”
In a career that began as a jockey in 1971, riding for his father George, John Moore took over the trainer’s reins in 1985.
The seven-time champion trainer has a record 1,734 winners, 36 international Gr1 wins, six Hong Kong Derbies, the all-time record for prize money at HK$2.098 billion, and eight Horse of the Year titles.
“I’ve seen racing grow from the amateur days until now, where it is the envy of all racing jurisdictions,” he said.
“To have been a part of that from day one, working with dad and then with my own licence, is something I’m very proud of.”
He won his first Derby with Makarpura Star (Native Kingdom-Regency Art, by New Regent) in 1995, but it was the 2006 Derby winner Viva Pataca (Marju-Comic, by Be My Chief) that launched the stable.
The legendary Viva Pataca
“Viva Pataca really started to put the Moore stable on the map in the infant stages of building the stable into what it is today,” he said.
Other champions include Designs On Rome (Holy Roman Emperor-Summer Trysting, by Alleged), Able Friend (Shamardal-Ponte Piccolo, by Volksraad), and most recently Beauty Generation (Road to Rock-Stylish Bel, by Bel Esprit).
Moore will train in Sydney next season for mostly Hong Kong-based owners and hopes to get the so-far elusive Australian Gr1 win.
