Maurice crowned a day of champions at Sha Tin racecourse this afternoon, Sunday 1 May, with a victory of superlative quality that raised an already electric atmosphere to a sizzling peak.
Hot on the heels of Chautauqua’s withering late surge to win the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, Japan’s Horse of the Year put on a masterclass in the HK$14 million Champions Mile.
“He was brilliant!” said winning rider Joao Moreira. “A machine,” was how Brett Prebble described the victor. The Australian had the closest view of Maurice’s powerful rear quarters in the run home – two lengths second atop Contentment.
Moreira enjoyed an untroubled passage astride the Noriyuki Hori-trained bay, sent off at 2.1 to become only the second overseas winner of the race after Variety Club in 2014. Maurice did not disappoint.
Settled a handy fourth – Contentment inside and clear ground to his outer – tracking the pace-setting Beauty Flame and close attendant Rewarding Hero, Maurice eased three wide on the turn for home as the front duo began to toil. With Beauty Flame mining his last reserves at the 300m point, Moreira shook the reins and Maurice responded with immediacy. Within 50 metres Japan’s hero had quickened ahead, the result sealed. Moreira saluted the winning post in a time of 1m 34.08s – the five-year-old champ’s final 400m split a searing 21.79s.
“He was lucky to get such a good position in the race, which gave me plenty of options to put him out whenever I wanted,” said the Brazilian.
“He gave me so much confidence that he was going to get there any time that I was going to press the button. When I gave him the daylight he just started to get going by himself and showed what he is capable of. He’s a lovely horse and I think he can step up to a longer distance. I’m very blessed to have been given an opportunity to ride this horse today.”
The win was the seventh in succession for Maurice. The Screen Hero entire was having his first start since a brilliant triumph at the course and distance in December’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, a race in which, ridden by Ryan Moore, he drove past Hong Kong’s own high-weight, last year’s Champions Mile winner Able Friend. Maurice now has four G1 wins on his curriculum vitae with a career record of nine wins from 14 starts.
“I’m extremely happy to have won the Hong Kong Mile at the international meeting in December and to come back and follow up in the Champions Mile today,” said winning trainer Hori. “It’s a pleasure to come here and I’m happy for the win, I’d like to thank Joao for giving the horse a great ride.”
Prebble was delighted with the run of the John Size-trained Contentment, on whom he won the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at the track back in February.
“He’s run super, he’s been beaten by a machine,” he said, an unmistakable tone of admiration to his voice. “He could’ve gone another 400 metres, the winner.”
Packing Pins, one of Hong Kong’s deep crop of aspiring stars, ran on for a career best third for trainer Ricky Yiu and jockey Gerald Mosse.
“He’s a lovely horse – he has big potential,” said the veteran French rider. “He was fighting to the line – I think the distance today was perfect. I switched behind the first two, he gave me a beautiful run and I’m very pleased.”
The Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Only rattled home centre track for fourth under Neil Callan.
“He’s run another solid race, probably against the best miler in the world,” said Callan. “My draw was forcing me to be a little bit patient on him and I think with the way the track’s been riding today it’s a little bit of an on-pace track. They went good sections there and he’s made up a lot of ground, and he ran credibly but you can't give that start away to good horses like that. The draw probably cost him second.”
Turnover was a record for the day at HK$1.457 billion, while the crowd of 27,878 was the highest at the meeting in six years.
Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The week shaped up to be a more than exciting global racing event, and I would say that the Chairman’s Sprint Prize was one of the most exciting races we’ve seen here in a while – the world’s best sprinter showing that electric turbo charge at the end – it was fantastic.
“Maurice emphasised in the Champions Mile that he is probably the best miler in Asia and one of the best milers in the world, and he and Chautauqua winning show that the best can come here and perform. We are sure that this event can go further – not forgetting last week’s APQEII Cup, we have seen wonderful horses, top-class performances, and we have a great platform on which to build. We can grow this event and we have exciting plans for next year that will be announced at a later date.”
1st - Maurice – Joao Moreira "He was brilliant. He gave me so much confidence that he was going to get there any time that I was going to press the button."
2nd - Contentment – Brett Prebble
“He’s run super, he’s been beaten by a machine. He could’ve gone another 400 metres, the winner.”
3rd - Packing Pins – Gerald Mosse
“He’s a lovely horse – he has big potential. He was fighting to the line – I think the distance today was perfect. I swiAtched behind the first tow, he gave me a beautiful run and I’m very pleased.”
4th - Beauty Only – Neil Callan
“He’s run another solid race, probably against the best miler in the world. My draw was forcing me to be a little bit patient on him and I think with the way the track’s been riding today it’s a little bit of an on-pace track. They went good sections there and he’s made up a lot of ground, and he ran credibly but you can't give that start away to good horses like that. The draw probably cost him second.”
5th – Safety Check – James McDonald
“Maybe he’s just short of this level but he ran very well. Had a nice trip and finished the race off well.”
6th - Beauty Flame – Matthew Chadwick
“Nice run, he held on well after we worked to the lead and maybe the break between runs didn’t help.”
7th – Gun Pit – Vincent Ho
“He has run very well today to keep up with them in this class. I think in the future he can perform on the grass at 1800 to 2000 metres. He began well but I would like to have had him a bit closer in the run.”
8th - Giant Treasure – Olivier Peslier
“He had no speed early.”
9th - Rewarding Hero – Tommy Berry
“He was probably too close and he’s better with cover. I was happy to go forward but was hoping something would come around and give us some cover but nothing did.”
10th - Dundonnell – Nash Rawiller
“We had to go back from the wide gate and under the circumstances I thought he ran OK.”
11th – Secret Weapon – Tye Angland
“Had a tough trip from the draw and in the end that took it’s toll.”
12th - Bow Creek – Zac Purton “They went too slow for him.”
