Werther works well ahead of Queen Elizabeth II Cup defence
WERTHER breezed through its work at Sha Tin in preparation for its defence of the Group 1 QEII Cup this Sunday.
The John Moore-trained champion looks fit and ready to go for the feature and Moore is confident of another good showing.
“I’m very pleased, we’re going in with confidence,” Moore said. “Sam (Clipperton) said he was really strong to the line here and very strong through the line.
“He said the horse wasn’t going to pull-up, he was going on, so that’s very indicative of what the feedback was at this time last year.
“We’re going in with a very fit horse. He’s bang on. Vincent, my English riding boy who rode him in the trotting ring this morning, he mentioned that he was very, very free.”
Most of the betting public are following the Japanese form with Neorealism – the runner Moore believes will be the hardest to beat.
“If Neorealism doesn’t bring his ‘A’ game, Pakistan Star will be the horse to beat,” Moore explained. “But Werther’s world class and they’ve all got to bring their very best to beat him.
“And he only has to walk from his box over there, to the track here and then he’s back into his tucker in no time.
“Home advantage is a big factor.”
The former Australasian runner has come back from a suspensory injury with style by winning the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup and finishing well for fourth behind Rapper Dragon in the Chairman’s Trophy earlier this month.
Moore is happy with how Werther ($4 at Bet365.com) has progressed from the light campaign this season.
“Sam said that that run at the mile last time has done him the world of good and really topped him off,” Moore said. “Missing that first part of the season might not have been a bad thing because he’s only really got going since the turn-of-the-year to now, so he’s on a perfect prep.
“Last year he had a tough campaign, starting in December after import and taking in those tough four-year-old races, including the Derby, he really had to show us what he was made of.
“This time he’s only been aiming at this race. Everything has been a prep to get to this race and it’s only his fourth run of the season.”
Stablemate Designs On Rome continues to be competitive in Hong Kong and Moore isn’t counting out the rising eight-year-old.
“He’s a bit of the forgotten horse in the race, rising eight at the end of this year,” Moore said. “Henry, who rides him every morning, he commented that he’s well enough at this stage of his prep. I couldn’t get him any fitter than he is.
“His best days are behind him, though. He’s got as big a heart as you would ever want in a horse but the age – if he could run third or fourth it would be a very good result. Anything in front of that would be a bonus.”
It beat only one horse home in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy, but it owes its connections nothing according to Moore.
“We seem to have him as good as we can get him at this stage of his prep and career. He’s done a great job for us and he owes us nothing now,” Moore added.