Werther is set for an international campaign after running ragged an international field in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup in Hong Kong on Sunday.
The four-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding appreciated the heavy rain prior to the 2,000-metre contest and under a beautiful hold-up ride from Hugh Bowman powered four and a half lengths clear of Military Attack, the 2013 winner.
Blazing Speed, last year’s winner, was third ahead of Japan’s Lovely Day, the first of the six international horses to contest Group 1 event.
Werther became the sixth horse to win the Hong Kong Derby, and the prestigious international race and trainer John Moore is now eyeing a trip to Australia for the son of Tavistock, a winner at the highest level in New Zealand.
“Next we’ll go to the Champions & Chater Cup over a mile and a half here in a month’s time and Hugh will be back to ride him,” Moore said.
“Then we’ll give him a break and I’ll be trying to pull the owner’s leg to go back to Australia for the Cox Plate!”
It was a fifth win in the race for Moore, who subsequently campaigned QEII winners Viva Pataca, Military Attack and Designs On Rome, who was fifth under Tommy Berry, in Dubai the following season.
The strength of the Dubai Sheema Classic and Dubai Turf were hardly advertised by Aidan O’Brien’s Highland Reel, who was eighth, and Mike de Kock’s Ertijaal, who was ninth from his wide draw of 11 of 13.
Ryan Moore reported afterwards that Highland Reel, who was fourth in the Sheema Classic last month, did not handle the ground. A sentiment was echoed by Ertijaal’s jockey Douglas Whyte.
“Not much went right for him and he didn’t quote handle the going,” he said.
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