Werther wins QEII Cup in Hong Kong
Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman has added another Group One win to his glittering resume, steering Werther to an emphatic victory in the QEII Cup in Hong Kong.
Trainer John Moore says Werther, the winner of last month’s Hong Kong Derby, will now be aimed at the Cox Plate in Melbourne in October.
Bowman, who won this season’s Cox Plate on Winx, urged Werther to the front in the straight and the four-year-old responded to win Sunday’s feature by 4-1/2 lengths from Military Attack.
Australia’s representative Rising Romance finished 10th of the 13 runners.
“He has now, after winning so decisively, taken the big step on the world stage, so Hong Kong has got a world champion in its midst,” Bowman said.
Moore said Werther would contest the Group One Champions & Chater Cup on May 22 before targeting the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October.
“There were some doubts about the strength of the Hong Kong Derby form but Werther has put that to bed now,” he said.
“He was extremely impressive and he will continue to improve. The sky’s the limit.
“Next will be the Champions & Chater Cup and Hugh will be here to ride him again.
“Then we will give him a break and I will try and pull the owners leg and go back for the Cox Plate.”
A Group Two winner in New Zealand, Werther was runner-up in the 2015 South Australian Derby and Queensland Derby before going to Hong Kong.