John Moore has always rated Military Attack a Group 1 winner in the making,
and the Irish-bred gelding proved the trainer’s judgment to be spot on with a
stunning breakthrough win in Sunday’s Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup.
“We’ve always thought this horse could put together a run like that, and the
closing quarters proved he can be ridden handy off that kind of pace,” said the
trainer, for whom this was a fifth success in eight editions of the about 1
1/4-mile contest. “The hope for the future now is that he can put another Group
1 win together,”
The win represented the forging of a new Group 1 partnership as jockey Zac
Purton landed a first top-level win for the Moore stable. The rider settled
Military Attack handy on the rail after jumping smartly from gate one as
stablemate Same World led ahead of Liberator.
“John asked me to get three back the fence if I could — he was quite
specific about that instruction,” Purton said. “I didn’t expect him to jump as
well as he did, I could have nearly led them up early, so I was taking a bit of
a tug on him just asking him to come back.
“Because my horse doesn’t race so handy generally, I was trying not to let
him use himself too much, so I was letting Same World go a little bit just to
let my horse travel comfortable beneath me and within himself. If I was chasing
him, I would have been doing too much.”
After getting the hoped-for dream run three back, Purton switched the
five-year-old out in the stretch between Same World and the flagging Liberator.
When he asked the question, Military Attack responded with a surge at the
furlong mark that took him to a commanding 2 1/2-length verdict over the
deep-closing Pure Champion in a time of 2:03. Stablemate Xtension was a further
short-head back in third under Douglas Whyte.
“It was a fantastic feeling,” Purton said. “I just poked my head through the
gap, and once I got through there, I knew I had the race won. I sort of just put
a hold on him there before I let him go, and his turn of foot was explosive. We
know he can reel off good sectionals — every time he goes out there to race he
runs :22 something — so I thought if he produced that again he would blow them
away today. That was no fluke!”
Owner Steven Lo Kit Sing and Moore will consider options for both Military
Attack and the owner’s Xtension, with a venture overseas a possibility for both.
“I’ll look at the (Group 1) Dubai Duty Free for Military Attack and Zac can
ride him, if we’re invited,” Moore said of the about nine-furlong turf test on
Dubai World Cup night, March 30.
“Xtension’s run today was full of merit. He was not quite at his tops yet
today and he could go to Dubai too if invited. Douglas would ride him.”
The victory saw Purton end the day with his advantage in the jockey’s title
race cut to one, Whyte having scored a treble on Little Men, All You Wish and
Gurus Dream. The Australian hopes that the success will be the first of many
showcase triumphs in tandem with Moore.
“John and I had a great relationship when I first came here to Hong Kong but
he had a stable rider so the rides dropped off, and if I’m going to push Douglas
in the championship, I really need John to give me some rides,” he said, before
adding, with a glint in his eye, “so if I don’t win it, we’ll blame John!”
California Memory was sent off a warm favorite to add to his consecutive
Group 1 Hong Kong Cup wins over the course and distance, but the Tony
Cruz-trained gray could finish only 10th of the 11 contenders. A post-race
veterinary inspection revealed that he was displaying an irregular heart rhythm.
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