INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
MAY 29, 2015
Royal Ascot awaits “Magic” show
by Andrew Hawkins for TDN
Racing is full of Hollywood-esque stories — the inconceivable, the
implausible, the unrealistic.
On a global scale, the story of Joao Moreira is right up there with the most
astonishing: the jockey they call the “Magic Man,” the Brazilian-born wizard who
has taken Asia by storm, now looks set to make a true splash on the world stage.
An unrivaled rags-to-riches tale, Moreira has risen from the slums of Brazil,
from a destiny of poverty and crime, to the very top of his game, to become
arguably Brazil’s most successful non-soccer sportsman since the champion
Formula One driver, the late Ayrton Senna.
And yet, while Moreira made a big splash in Brazil, broke every record in a
remarkable stint in Singapore and is now setting Hong Kong alight, he still
doesn’t receive the plaudits he deserves globally.
For those who have seen the Magic Man at work, his name is one of a number
bandied about as the world’s best jockey, deserving of a spot alongside Moore
and Soumillon, a rider with that potent combination of balance, poise and
tactical awareness that only champions possess.
His star is slowly rising in Australia, having ridden three Group 1 winners
down under, and dual success in Dubai in 2014 brought him further acclaim. He’s
ridden in England’s Shergar Cup and partnered a number of graded stakes
placegetters in two short stints in the United States. He estimates he’s ridden
in about 20 countries.
But for all that, Moreira remains still somewhat of a mystery to most in
traditional racing heartland s– so much so that a Google search turns up the
wrong age for the rider, putting him 12 months younger than his 31 years. The
relative obscurity is set to change in the next month as his association with
the world’s highest ranked turf galloper Able Friend (Shamardal) thrusts him
into the spotlight at arguably the biggest turf meeting on the planet, Royal
Ascot.
It is the continuation of a whirlwind journey for the Brazilian, who was once
turned down for an apprenticeship and came within a nose of losing his license
in the early days of his career. Anyone who meets Moreira for little more than a
fleeting moment has the same story to report: the nicest man in racing, humble,
gentle, kind — the antithesis of his warrior persona on-track. It’s a modesty
brought about by his humble upbringing.
“I don’t think anyone would believe where I come from,” Moreira said
recently. “I grew up in a small village near Curitiba, and we had very little.
It was tough, and we did what we had to do to get by, but I always loved
horses.”
At the age of 14, he quit his job, working in a factory, to pursue a career
with horses. He worked as a stablehand for no pay and was knocked back from
joining the jockey ranks in his home town before being offered the chance to
join a jockey academy in Sao Paulo.
“In my early days of riding in Sao Paulo, while I was still in the academy, I
was considered the worst jockey there,” he explained. “No one would give me a
ride and I had some bad luck. My first two winners were both disqualified. I was
told I was not born to ride and that I should be getting another job. I only
just kept my license. I was almost on my way back to Curitiba and then my luck
turned.”
Moreira was a full-fledged jockey by 2003, and by the time of his departure
in 2009, he had racked up over 1000 winners, mainly at Sao Paulo’s Cidade Jardim
racetrack. He was a two-time Trofeu Mossoro (Brazilian Eclipse Award) winner and
it was his early association with champion South American three-year-old Eu
Tambem, the winner of the 2006 Gran Premio Nacional (Arg-G1) — the Argentine
Derby — and later bought by Godolphin, that catapulted Moreira to stardom. And
yet, already, the young rider was looking outside Brazil.
“I knew the world was a big place and I knew I wanted to ride elsewhere,”
Moreira says. “I had ridden in France, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay, but
I had big dreams.”
In March 2009, he left Brazil for Singapore. By year’s end, he was seen as a
rising star in the Lion City, having finished third in the jockey rankings
despite missing almost half the season. It was here that the Moreira myth was
borne, where he was nicknamed “Magic” by former commentator Michael Maxworthy, a
nickname that quickly developed into the “Magic Man.”
In 2010, he set a new Singaporean record with 116 wins, capturing his first
premiership in the process. A year later, he set a new benchmark with 153 wins.
And then, in 2012, he blew those two marks out of the water with a whopping 206
victories in a season. He claimed a fourth title in 2013 with 179 wins, despite
leaving for his new contract in Hong Kong with just over two months left to go
in the season. But as a parting gift to Singapore, he managed to win eight races
from eight rides at Kranji in September 2013, a feat just as remarkable as
Dettori’s Magnificent Seven.
They may not be too distant, geographically or culturally, but in racing
circles, Singapore and Hong Kong are worlds apart. Hong Kong is the ultimate
test for a rider. Not only is there a higher concentration of top jockeys at
their peak, but the intensity of the racing community is unmatched anywhere else
worldwide. There may be only two meetings a week — and only 83 across the whole
season — but the level of scrutiny is extreme, especially for a jockey.
The political climate is not unlike a scene out of House of Cards as jockeys
fight for rides, with every move watched by the local media and the punters who
splurge, on average, US$17 million on every single race. It’s a dog-eat-dog
environment that has claimed some notable scalps over the years.
And yet the Brazilian has thrived.
With last season’s champion jockey, Australian Zac Purton, Moreira has
brought about the end of an era — the end of the dominance of South African
master Douglas Whyte, who had won 13 straight championships before he was
dethroned by Purton last season. And yet, Moreira believes he’s only starting to
find his best form now, despite riding winners at a seemingly unsustainable
strike rate of 23 percent.
“I struggled to get it right in Hong Kong at first,” Moreira admitted. “I was
used to riding on left-handed tracks, so when I switched to go right-handed at
Sha Tin and Happy Valley, my horses were shifting in and causing interference. I
missed 18 meetings (out of 83) because of suspension last season, and I also
started late, so I was really happy to finish second to Zac.”
He continued, “This season I’ve really tried to stay out of trouble and to
just focus on riding winners, and now I think I’ve got it right. And it’s still
getting better, although it will be hard to beat this season.”
And what a season it has been. Moreira has not only got the Hong Kong
jockeys’ championship wrapped up with 13 meetings to go in the term, he’s
already surpassed Whyte’s previous record of 113 wins in a season. There is talk
that the 150 mark could be under threat, an achievement previously thought
impossible in the pressure cooker environment of Hong Kong racing.
Moreira’s biggest moment will come in the Queen Anne S. (Eng-G1) June 16,
when he partners the John Moore-trained Able Friend in the opening event at the
Royal meeting. It will be the 1300-pound chestnut’s biggest test against horses
of the ilk of Dubai Turf (UAE-G1) winner Solow (Singspiel), last season’s Two
Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) victor Night Of Thunder (Dubawi) and potentially
Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) hero Karakontie (Bernstein), but Moreira seems
unperturbed by the likely opposition — in fact, he is relishing the chance to
test Able Friend against the world’s best milers.
“He’s the best horse I’ve ridden, he’s just outstanding,” he opines. “He’s
the easiest ride, he is just so uncomplicated. He goes to sleep, and then you
ask him to quicken and the response is instant. Is he the best horse in the
world? I think so, he’s just a dream horse to ride — every jockey wants a horse
like him. Hopefully he can take his best to England and the world can see how
good he is.”
Perhaps the same can be said for his unassuming rider, with the world finally
set to witness how lethal Joao Moreira can be.