Moreira’s Fantastic Eight

By David Morgan (Hong Kong Jockey Club)

It was the Mr Stunning show at Sha Tin this afternoon (Sunday, 5 March), or Messrs Stunning, to be more accurate. While the horse of that name shone in the Class 1 Friendship Bridge Handicap to place himself on the cusp of Group 1 assignments, it was the man in the saddle, Joao Moreira, who dazzled the most with a record-breaking performance.

Hong Kong’s Champion Jockey endured a rare win-freeze seven days ago as he went zero from 10. But a week is a long time in any sport and today the Brazilian was on fire, scorching to eight wins from 10 rides on the 11-race card. In doing so, Moreira bettered the old Hong Kong record of six in a day, which he had shared with Brett Prebble and Douglas Whyte.

“I really don’t have words to describe it, it’s amazing. We know how tough it is to make it here in Hong Kong,” Moreira said before going on to pay tribute to all his supporters. “I didn’t expect it to happen, to be honest. To ride eight winners in a day here in Hong Kong is more than special.”

Moreira stormed the first four races before sitting out race five but was back on the mark in the next. He achieved his third Hong Kong six-timer when the talented three-year-old Beat The Clock justified 1.9 favouritism in race eight, the Class 3 Coloane Handicap (1200m), and that record fell when the “Magic Man” drove the Derek Cruz-trained Mighty Maverick to a three-quarter length success in race 10, the Class 3 Macau Handicap (1400m).

The champ then delivered a grandstand finale, urging Prawn Baba to a length and three-quarter verdict in the last, the Class 2 Taipa Handicap (1800m), to bring up his third career eight-timer. Moreira achieved the feat previously in Brazil and Singapore.

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