Designs On Rome ready to run a big race in Hong Kong Gold Cup
Trainer John Moore says his former Hong Kong horse of the year is primed to win back-to-back Cups after a nice piece of solo work before Sunday’s feature at Sha Tin
Buoyed by Designs On Rome’s strong final gallop on Friday morning, John Moore believes his former horse of the year is on track for back-to-back wins in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup.
Unplaced in three runs this term after arthroscopic surgery late last season, Designs On Rome put concerns over an unconvincing recent trial to rest with a nice piece of solo work before Sunday’s
HK$10 million feature at Sha Tin.
He is right where we want him, he stretched out well and we’ve got high hopes he can repeat
“He is right where we want him, he stretched out well and we’ve got high hopes he can repeat,” Moore said. “Forget the trial, he was out in gate one over the 1,000m and we didn’t want him knocked around. The most important thing is that the joints are holding up really well, he hasn’t had a day of lameness.”
In-form jockey Tommy Berry will fly in from Australia to reunite with Designs On Rome for the first time since 2014, the pair having won three consecutive Group Ones together during the Irish import’s amazing four-year-old season.
“It was the owner’s decision to bring Tommy back on, the other jockeys had done nothing wrong, he just wanted to put that partnership back together,” said Moore, who has Joao Moreira on Helene Happy Star, with Karis Teetan switching to Group One-winner Dan Excel after riding Designs On Rome last start.
