Able Friend Has Trainer Singing Praises Following Trial

Able Friend (cheekpieces) | HKJC photo

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No fewer than eight horses ticketed for the Dec. 11 Longines Hong Kong International Races took part in the first two barrier trials over the Sha Tin all-weather track Friday morning, and a good deal of the focus was on Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal). Imperious in winning the 2014 G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, but only third in his title defence last year, the strapping chestnut has had just one run in off an injury-enforced absence and needed to prove that he'd come on for a fourth-place effort in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint Nov. 20. And that he did, to the delight of trainer John Moore.

Drawn gate seven in a heat that also included stablemate and Jockey Club Sprint upsetter Not Listenin'tome (Aus) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}); the John Size-trained Hong Kong Mile-bound duo of Contentment (Aus) (Hussonet) and champion miler Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}); and G1 Hong Kong Vase candidate Helene Happy Star (Ire) (Zamindar), Able Friend jumped well and was snagged back off the pace set by Not Listenin'tome while racing about four wide on the track and began to advance nearing the stretch. With Joao Moreira hard against him, Able Friend pulled his way eagerly and hit the line very well to finish second, 1 1/2 lengths behind the pacesetter and just ahead of Contentment. Helene Happy Star stayed on well into fourth, while Sun Jewellery was an unextended sixth (video). Moore and Moreira could scarcely contain their enthusiasm following the trial.

“He trialled really well and Joao was very emphatic about the fact that the trial was really good. He got off with a smile on his face and said it was a dramatic improvement,” Moore commented. “That trial was very necessary to get that fitness into him because we're very aware that we're that one run short in terms of the ideal prep.

The conditioner added, “It's been a case of getting that muscle back into his quarters, which we've been doing with track work and swimming–you can see that there's definitely a change in his quarters since he came back into work in September, he's got stronger.”

The morning's second trial was led on ratings by G1 Hong Kong Sprint dark horse Amazing Kids (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}); his stable companion Eastern Express (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), headed to the Vase; and the progressive miler Helene Paragon (Fr) (Polan {Fr}). Amazing Kids and the longer-winded Eastern Express both hit the ground running, attended the pace and made moves together into the lane. Amazing Kids, most recently a somewhat disappointing fifth in the Jockey Club Sprint, poked through to lead between runners at the midstretch marker and held on late by a head from Eastern Express, who turned in an enormous gallop out around the clubhouse turn. Helene Paragon, a troubled seventh in the G2 Jockey Club Mile last time, switched out and got home generously in fifth, then also galloped out with excellent energy (video).

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