Hong Kong horses sweep the top prizes at Kranji

SINGAPORE — Hong Kong horses ruled at the Singapore Racecourse at Kranji last night when favourite Military Attack posted a 3¼-length victory in the S$3 million Singapore Airlines International Cup (2,000m) while Lucky Nine posted a similarly comfortable win earlier in the S$1 million KrisFlyer International Sprint (1,200m). These are the two international Group 1 races that highlight the annual Singapore International Racing Festival.

A five-year-old Irish bred owned by Hong Kong’s Steven Loh Kit Seng and his wife, Military Attack was kept in midfield for most of the race by Australian jockey Zac Purton before turning on the afterburners down the home straight to cruise to the winning post unchallenged.

Stablemate Dan Excel edged the battle for second place by a head over Singapore’s Mawingo.

Victory in the main event was an emotional affair for trainer John Moore who revealed that he had spent a year here as a track rider at the old Bukit Timah Race Course from 1970-71, and credited Singapore as the springboard to his highly successful career subsequently in Hong Kong.

Despite winning the Hong Kong trainer’s premiership five times and holding the island’s record of saddling more than 1,200 winners, this was only the first time Moore has won an international Group 1 race.

“To do this in Singapore, a country I’ve always loved, it’s massive and it’s great to break the duck right here,” said the 63-year-old Australian.

Moore rode professionally in Hong Kong before becoming assistant trainer to his father George Moore, a pre-eminent Australian trainer with a long list of Australian major race wins including the Australian Derby, Sydney Cup and Cox Plate, and enjoyed international success as well.

Earlier in the evening, Singapore’s hopes of winning the KrisFlyer International Sprint for a third year running were dashed when Hong Kong’s Lucky Nine proved a class above, taking a 3-length win over Australian entry Bel Sprinter.

The Michael Freedman-trained Super Easy ran on for a superb third place with Joao Moreira on top to give locals some cheer.