John Moore is plenty accustomed to having his name in the spotlight as a champion trainer in Hong Kong, but he gained a new perspective at Eagle Farm on Saturday as the owner of Eagle Way, the first horse to win a Group 1 in his colours. Moore and his son, George, picked up Eagle Way for A$200,000 at the Inglis Easter yearling sale of 2014, but were left to campaign the horse themselves after the intended owner's Hong Kong racing permit fell through. Moore entrusted the horse to trainer Bryan Guy, and said after Saturday's win, “Once he started training him, Bryan told me last year that I shouldn't sell this horse back to Hong Kong because it would win the Queensland Derby, and he was right.”
Eagle Way made just two unassuming starts as a juvenile and took six starts in total to break his maiden, at last achieving the feat going a mile on the Sunshine Coast last December. He then notched two more successive wins in handicap company before checking in second in a Gold Coast benchmark 75 race Apr. 16. Eighth in Doomben's G3 Gunsynd Classic two weeks later, Eagle Way was fourth in the G3 Rough Habit Plate a further two weeks after that and was second in this race's major lead-up, the 2200 metre G3 Grand Prix S., May. 28. Traveling in the second half of the field while his Grand Prix conqueror Mackintosh (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) led the way on Saturday, Eagle Way began to pick off rivals under Tommy as the field rounded the final turn. Five- wide at the top of the lane, Eagle Way took dead aim on Etymology (Aus) (New Approach {Ire}), who was left with the lead after Mackintosh had thrown in the towel prematurely. Tangling with Rodrico for a good 200 metres, Eagle Way at last turned back that rival inside the final 100 metres to win comfortably.
“I have had four runners in Group 1's [as an owner] but never have I been as nervous as that before a race or during it,” Moore revealed. “It was a perfect ride from Tommy–it was a George Moore ride,” he added, referring to his late father, the celebrated jockey and trainer. Moore noted that Eagle Way had gone one better than his current stable star Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), the beaten favourite in this race last year who has gone on to win this year's Hong Kong Derby and G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup. Eagle Way will now follow in that one's footsteps and be offered for sale to Hong Kong clients.
Eagle Way is the 10th, and now the most accomplished, produce of the winning Wedgetail Eagle, who has produced three other stakes winners in Soaressa (Aus) (Twining), Impressive Eagle (Aus) (Rubiton {Aus}) and Assertive Eagle (Aus) (Danewin {Aus}). Soaressa is in turn the dam of Group 3 winner Thermal Current (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). His second dam, La Favorita (Seattle Dancer), is a full-sister to the G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Seattle Rhyme. Wedgetail Eagle has a twice-raced 2-year-old filly named Sweet Eagle (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}), and a yearling full-brother to her named Wedgebrook (Aus). Eagle Way is from the first crop of foals bred by the Maloney family following its purchase of the famed Segenhoe Stud.
Saturday, Eagle Farm, Australia
QUEENSLAND DERBY-G1, A$600,000, BRC, 6-11, 3yo, Open Set Weight, 2400mT, 2:32.34, Good.
1–&@#EAGLE WAY, 57.0, g, 3, by More Than Ready (USA)
1st Dam: Wedgetail Eagle, by Lure (USA)
2nd Dam: La Favorita (USA), by Seattle Dancer (USA)
3rd Dam: Golden Rhyme (IRE), by Dom Racine (FR)
(A$200,000 Ylg 2014 WI Sydney Easter Yearling Sale) O-J G
Moore; B-Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia Pty Ltd NSW; T-B
R Guy; J-Tommy Berry; A$384,000. Lifetime Record: 13-4-2-0,
A$517,750. *1/2 to Soaressa (Aus) (Twining), SW-Aus,
$183,480; Impressive Eagle (Aus) (Rubiton {Aus}), MSW &
G1SP-Aus, $305,675; and Assertive Eagle (Aus) (Danewin
{Aus}), SW & MGSP-Aus, $271,750. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rodrico, 57.0, g, 3, High Chaparral (IRE)–Truly a Beauty
(USA), by Seeking the Gold (USA). (NZ$235,000 Ylg 2014 NZB
National Yearling Sale) O-M J Wyborn & R R Peel-Walker;
B-Roncon NSW; T-C J Waller; J-J Moreira; A$120,000.
3–I'm Belucci, 57.0, c, 3, Captain Sonador–Sovereign Road, by
St Jude. (A$32,000 Ylg 2014 MM March Yearling Sale) O-D M
Forbes, Mrs K Forbes, N C Mayne, Mrs C M Mayne & Mrs L E
Mayne; B-Mr BM Nolan QLD; T-Desleigh Forster; J-J Byrne;
A$60,000.
Margins: 1.8 len, 3.6 len, 4.9 len. Odds: 6.00, 25.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Howard be Thy Name, Brazen, Red Alto, Etymology, Encosta Line, Admiral Jello, Harvard (NZ), Eschiele, Multifacets (NZ), Slaughter Bay, Maven Wiz, Cylinder Beach (NZ), Snapper, Star Zone, Mackintosh (NZ).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
