A relieved John Moore said Horse of the Year Able Friend could be back in work within a week and remains on target to return late next month en route to defending his Longines Hong Kong Mile crown in December.
Able Friend pulled up sore after a routine gallop on a wet all-weather track last week in an incident eerily similar to a setback the big chestnut suffered nearly 12 months ago.
After one week of rest, further bone scans revealed Able Friend had suffered nothing more serious than a strained hind-quarter, with the injury not as serious as last year’s suspensory ligament strain.
“That was my gut feeling, that it wasn’t a serious injury this time, now we can just give him the required rest before easing him back into things,” Moore said yesterday.
“It looks like just strain over the quarters and given a little let-up it won’t be a problem. We just had to go through due process with checking all of the possibilities, to make sure it wasn’t something like a hairline fracture or ligament strain that we would aggravate by rushing him back.”
Able Friend was set to return in the Group Three Celebration Cup on October 1, but will now resume in the Group Two Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy, where he could clash with stablemate Designs On Rome.
Designs On Rome underwent arthroscopic surgery on both front fetlocks late last season and resumed work on Wednesday last week.
“He will resume in the same race as Able Friend, but we will take it slowly,” said Moore, who will still have a strong hand in the Celebration Cup, with Secret Sham, Dan Excel, Rewarding Hero and Dominant all slated for a return in the 1,400m handicap.
After winning last season’s trainers’ championship, Moore said he is easing his way into this campaign and does not have a runner at tonight’s Happy Valley meeting, nor will he have an entry at next week’s midweek fixture.
“The horses did a great job late last season for us to be able to win the title,” he said.
“We have to put them first – if we were in Australia a lot of these horses would be spending six weeks in the paddock, so we can take our time with them and rest.
“We’ve got a long season ahead.”
