Another week, another Joao Moreira contender for ride of the season.

At least, that's the view of John Moore after the Brazilian jockey steered Bear-Pop to his second consecutive win in a Class Four 1,400m at Sha Tin yesterday.

"That was surely one of the rides of the season, how often do you see jockeys pull something out like that?" Moore asked after the quirky three-year-old's win. "Although, it is Joao Moreira - there seems to be a few that could measure up!"

In fact, it was eerily similar to another recent Moreira contender for ride of the season, his effort on John Size's Sun Jewellery a week earlier.

Jumping from stall 13, Moreira took no part in the early speed battle, instead shifting in behind runners. By the time they had reached the first bend, Bear-Pop was perfectly positioned on the rail, four lengths from the lead, and in the straight, he only needed to come around early leader Master Mind, booting through along the inside to win by a neck over Short Squeeze.

For Moreira, though, it was a case of doing what was necessary to win the race, rather than any magic on his part.

"Bear-Pop needs many things to go right for him and I don't think he could have won ridden any other way," the jockey explained. "John gave me the freedom to ride the horse how I liked and I told him I would probably try to ride him very similar to how he won last time, but we drew a few gates further out this time.

"I said to John, if I have to go back an extra length to get him across to the rail then I would because he needs that. I didn't really have many options when you look at it that way."

Bear-Pop's win took Moore to 52 wins at the season, maintaining a two-win advantage over Caspar Fownes at the top of the trainers' championship with 14 meetings remaining, but the handler is far from confident of winning his seventh title.

"It's almost impossible to win a trainers' championship with a top-heavy stable like mine, with so many high up in the ratings," Moore said. "The horses that win championships are the Class Four horses that can notch two or three wins in quick succession. Look at John Size, he has a strong batch of Class Four horses who will win a couple of races before the season is out. We just don't have those types.

"One More World can probably win a race or two before the end of the season, we have a couple that are yet to step out that should make their mark but really, a lot of my horses don't have any opportunities now. That's why wins from horses like Bear-Pop are so crucial."

Moore also confirmed that he would only be sending one horse over to England this summer, with Able Friend the stable's sole representative at Royal Ascot after it was decided to keep sprinter Not Listenin'tome at home.

"He's fine, he's still on track to run in the Sha Tin Vase on Sunday, but it was going to be tough logistically," Moore said. "It's a big job to travel these horses halfway across the world so we'll focus on just the one horse."

"We also considered sending Dan Excel over for the Sussex Stakes, or keeping Able Friend on for the Sussex - the Goodwood representatives would love to have him there - but the Sussex isn't until July 29, so it's more than six weeks after the Queen Anne. It would be too long a trip away."

"It will be a real hit-and-run mission - Able Friend will leave on June 6, have 10 days preparing for the race, spend a week in a spelling paddock afterwards and then will be straight back to Hong Kong."