Able Friend Headlines Queen's Silver Jubilee

A 5-year-old Shamardal gelding, Able Friend slammed international rivals when victorious in the Longines Hong Kong Mile (HK-I) in December and then dominated in Stewards' Cup (HK-I) at the same distance in January. The latter race saw him ranked second (rated 124) to U.S.-based Shared Belief (125) in the first edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2015.

 

 

Able Friend, a strapping red chestnut, ran home midpack under a hold in a 1,000-meter (about five-furlong) turf trial last week and has since pleased connections with a 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) spin under big-race pilot Joao Moreira.

 

Trainer John Moore said he sees no reason why Able Friend should not take home the lion's share of the $10 million (US$1,287,336) purse, even with the cutback in distance to 1,400 meters (about seven furlongs).

 

"He's a superstar and the indications are that he is still the horse everybody has to beat," said Moore. "We're going into the race thinking that if he can reproduce his last run he will win; he's had no setbacks, everything has gone well; as far as I'm concerned, I think he'll win again. Dropping down a furlong is not a worry at all."

 

Moore entered three others in the race: group I winner Dan Excel, runner-up 12 months ago; Stewards' Cup third Rewarding Hero; and the Secret Sham.

 

Gold-Fun, a 6-year-old Le Vie Dei Colori gelding, won last year's Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup and was Hong Kong's champion miler. Most recently, trainer Richard Gibson's charge produced a late surge to win the Chairman's Sprint Prize, a local group I, on his first start at 1,200 meters, having previously been no match for Able Friend at a mile in the Stewards' Cup. French jockey Christophe Soumillon has the mount.

 

Also entered is former two-time Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon, who delivered a devastating burst of speed to win the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup in 2013. Trained by Tony Millard, the 8-year-old Pins gelding was fifth in this year's Stewards' Cup. 

 

Gordon Lord Byron has group I wins in France, Great Britain, and Australia, and has finished fourth three times in group I races at Sha Tin from four visits, most recently in December when behind Aerovelocity in the Hong Kong Sprint (HK-I). Wayne Lordan gets the call on the 6-year-old son of Byron for trainer Tom Hogan.

 

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