Eagle Way seeking first local group one in Champions & Chater Cup
CHAMPION trainer John Moore has had success as an owner of Eagle Way in Australia, but he’s seeking his group one training success with the gelding in Sunday’s Group 1 Champions & Chater Cup.
The son of More Than Ready was a winner of the 2016 Queensland Derby when trained by Bryan Guy, but raced for Moore since it was purchased from the 2014 Inglis Yearling Sale.
Moore loved winning a feature in Australia, but has hopes of winning a race down under as a trainer and believes Eagle Way could make a return next year.
“I’ve always wanted to win a group one in Australia and so to do it as an owner was something different,” Moore said. “It’s still a target of mine to win an Australian group one as a trainer and maybe this horse might be a candidate next year – he could be a horse for the Melbourne spring, maybe races like the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.
This year, however, he will remain in Hong Kong.”
Eagle Way was a brilliant winner fresh up, but ran into some nice types in the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, finishing just off the pace in the Classic Mile, Classic Cup and the Derby.
It won again last start in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup when beating stablemate Helene Charisma and its handler is confident of another big run this Sunday at Sha Tin.
“His programme leading into this has been perfect, he’s a horse that needs a mile and a half to two miles,” the handler said at Thursday’s trackwork. “He always looked in need of extra ground throughout the four-year-old races, and then he produced a very good run in the lead-up to the Queen Mother when he had to make a long run.
“His Queen Mother win was terrific. Everything he has shown me suggests this race is ideal.”
Eagle Way galloped with Joao Moreira in the saddle on Thursday and Moore said the current $3.25 chance at Bet365.com should be peaking for the run on Sunday.
“I’m very happy with how he is this morning, I’ve been happy the whole way through,” Moore said. “Joao didn’t ask him for too much, but he reported that the horse feels better than he did going into the Queen Mother. He’s peaking for this run.
“I’m going in with very high hopes that he’s going to run a very big race. I think there’s not much between my top chances but right now I’m thinking Eagle Way is the horse to beat.”
Stablemate and Queen Mother Memorial Cup placegetter Helene Charisma has its fair share of quirks according to Moore, who is hoping it sticks to the rails to help it stay on course.
“He’s done everything right since he’s been in Hong Kong, especially since last start,” Moore said. “He just tends to get a little bit wayward at the finish, he hangs across heels and can be a little bit awkward.
“Maybe what he needs is to stick to the fence to stop him hanging, so I’m hoping he can get a rails run through to keep a straight line and hopefully they are swooping out wider.”
The colt was accompanied by Douglas Whyte in trackwork where it was hitting the line with power and Moore believes it will be a competitive runner in races such as the Hong Kong Vase this coming December.
“Past the post this morning, you could see him just starting to get into his work,” Moore said. “He is a rusted-on mile and a half horse, he’s the type who will be competitive against anything from Europe in the Hong Kong Vase in December – we need these types of horses here.
“That said, there aren’t that many races for them so the owners have to be patient, but Sunday’s race is one that will suit.”
Helene Charisma is currently a $6.50 chance with bookmakers.