Few racing events tug at memory and emotion quite like the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley, a stage returning Brazilian rider Joao Moreira to the moment that shifted the arc of his global career. According to punters.com.au, his appearance on 10 December carries a sentimental pull, reconnecting him with an arena that helped transform him from a rising talent into one of the sport’s most recognisable figures. Memories of 2012 remain vivid. Moreira arrived from Singapore as a relative outsider in a field containing Ryan Moore and Zac Purton, both well placed to claim the title heading into the final leg. Purton seemed set to secure the trophy aboard Chancellor when surging clear at the 200m, only for Noble Deluxe and Moreira to launch from the shadows. The photo confirmed the upset. “I thought it was over – I’m stunned, absolutely gutted,” Purton said after the result was posted, a moment that would later become part of Hong Kong racing folklore. That night accelerated Moreira’s path to Hong Kong, where he had previously ridden short stints. He settled there permanently in 2013 and went on to secure four Hong Kong Champion Jockey titles across 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2020/21, forming notable partnerships with Able Friend, Designs On Rome, Waikuku, Beat The Clock, Sky Darci and Hot King Prawn. His departure from Hong Kong’s riding ranks at the end of 2022 marked the close of an era in which the “Magic Man” moniker evolved into a defining identity. A return to the IJC has rekindled the memories that first propelled him forward. “That was the start of it and I ended up going to Hong Kong just because I was able to perform in that jockey challenge,” he said. “It was 2012 … and it definitely brings back those good memories.” He also singled out Rachel King and Hollie Doyle for praise, noting how strongly both riders have elevated standards in their respective jurisdictions. Moreira sees his invitation as recognition of years spent riding widely and consistently. The random horse allocation, he believes, makes the competition fair for all contenders, including James McDonald, Ryan Moore, William Buick, Christophe Lemaire, Umberto Rispoli, Zac Purton and defending champion Mickael Barzalona. Travel has eased slightly for him this year, though he still rode in Japan, England, Hong Kong, South America and Australia, including the Melbourne Cup on Land Legend. After completing a recent Sydney stint for Chris Waller, he returned to Brazil to split his year between home and international engagements, with plans to continue travelling into 2026.
Joao Moreira is hoping lightning can strike twice (pic: hkjc.com)
McEvoy Brings Cups Home to Streaky Bay
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Tony McEvoy travelled home to Streaky Bay this week to show off the Gr1 Caulfield Cup and Gr1 Melbourne Cup won by Half Yours (St Jean-La Gazelle, by Desert King) to his 96-year-old mother Connie, reported racingsa.com.au. "I love coming back here, even without the Cup," McEvoy said. "But it's extremely special to bring both of the Cups back. The first thing I thought of when we won it was to come back and show mum at Streaky Bay." Streaky Bay is home to a statue of McEvoy's nephew and jockey Kerrin who won the Gr1 Melbourne Cup three times aboard Brew (Sir Tristram-Horlicks, by Three Legs), Almandin (Monsun-Anatola, by Tiger Hill), and Cross Counter (Teofilo-Waitress, by Kingmambo). "Before we could walk, we'd be riding horses around in the front paddock," he said. "Mum would watch us from the kitchen window of the farmhouse, and when the old mare would get sick of us, she'd wipe us off under a tree. Mum would look out and yell 'you're right' and we'd get up and then 'get back on' she'd tell us. Horses were always a big part of our lives. A big part of my journey was mum letting me leave home at such an early age to go and work in the stables when I was still at school. My life's work has been racing and that (Melbourne Cup) is the holy grail." Half Yours was trained by McEvoy in partnership with his son Calvin, and Tony joked that he'd like a statue of himself one day. "He (Kerrin McEvoy statue) looked a bit lonely down there tonight, so it would be nice if I was standing next to him, just to keep him company."
Griffiths Appears to Have a Millions Smokey
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Late-spring is often the time Robbie Griffiths rolls out a sharp juvenile, and the debut win of Almost An Angel at Caulfield Heath on Wednesday suggests he may have uncovered another. According to racing.com, what set this one apart was not just the authority of the performance but the pedigree behind it, given that offspring of So You Think rarely step out at 1000 metres and win in the style she did. Luke Nolen took the mount after two encouraging trials, and the filly was allowed to find her feet early in the small field of six. Three lengths adrift of Angelic Rise with 200 metres left, she accelerated quickly once balanced, rounding them up to score by two lengths with something in reserve. The manner of the win raised eyebrows, but Griffiths was quick to say the stable had seen similar signs. "It's no surprise at all because we've been trying to put her in the paddock all along. She's a So You Think filly and you reckon they need time. I'm thinking to myself, 'Why are we running her'?" he said. "She's just kept saying, 'Let me run'." Her Cranbourne trials supported that view. She first worked home strongly behind Luna Vega, who then ran third in the Maribyrnong Plate, before trialling well again soon after. Griffiths said they intended to tip her out but her behaviour suggested otherwise. "She was bucking and squealing and feeling great," he said. Nolen was instructed simply to trust her stamina. "I told Luke to leave her be, as she has that So You Think blood to be strong at the end. If she wasn't by So You Think, you would have been really bullish, thinking, 'This is a ready-made two-year-old'." Assuming she pulls up well, the filly is likely to return to Caulfield for the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes over 1000 metres on November 29, where black type would significantly enhance her future value. Griffiths said the short turnaround would not deter him. "She's got a beautiful pedigree and if she can repeat the dose in 10 days' time and get black type, she's very valuable," he said. "She's had a look at Caulfield now, so that's in her favour. If we need more time, we can have a look at the Magic Millions Vic 2YO Classic at Caulfield later in December." Beyond that, a Queensland campaign remains on the table. The filly is shaping as the type who could press on to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 17. "She's telling us that she's up to a race like that," Griffiths said. "We wanted to see what we had seen in trackwork was fair dinkum. The way she has done that today, why not have a look at it." Almost An Angel brings a deep family behind her. She is the first foal out of All That Sass, a Hinchinbrook mare who won over 1400 metres and is a half-sister to Listed placegetter Morioka. Her second dam, Koonoomoo, won five races including the 2012 Maybe Mahal Stakes, and the page also features Bantry Bay and Embasadora. Bought for $30,000 from Alma Vale Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, she has already returned most of that with Wednesday's prize money.
Ill-fated So You Think is the sire of Amost An Angel (pic: Coolmore Stud)
Queensland Carnival for Impressive Trial Winner
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Trainer Matt Smith's 7YO gelding Way To The Stars (Reward For Effort-Writteninthestars, by Written Tycoon) returned in impressive fashion with a 14.5-length win at the trials at Rosehill on Tuesday, reported punters.com.au. He will be aimed at the Queensland carnival after missing his Sydney targets. "The Warra would have been a nice race for him but we just ran out of time in the end," Smith said. "There's not a lot of options around for a horse like him this time of year but I've had a look at the Queensland carnival and there's a few options for him there. I wouldn't totally rule out the Starlight (Stakes at Rosehill on November 29) but I'd say it's unlikely with Queensland more of an option." He had two starts last autumn running eight in the Gr1 Lightning Stakes in Victoria and seventh in the Gr2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick. He has been a bit frustrating because you don't want your best horses sidelined … you want them running out in the 15," Smith said. "But we've changed things up this time in with the way we train him. We've been working him at the farm on the deep sand and lessening his speed work. He seems really sharp and happy and the trial (on Tuesday) looked good so it's agreeing with him, I think. He's come back a lot stronger as well, he's about 30kg heavier. The plan will be to give him one or two runs and see how the change in training methods works and then look towards the autumn with him." He is the winner of seven of his 24 starts and over $500,000. Stablemate Headwall (Dream Ahead-Positive Quest, by Not A Single Doubt) missed The Everest with a leg injury. "He's still out munching on grass and he'll come back in about a month," he added. "It'll take a good three months to work him back to where he was and he might be right for the back end of the Autumn Carnival. A return for The Quokka (runner-up this year) in Perth might even work in well for him. But we won't be rushing him. We'll take all the time he needs."
Ratings Expert Highlights Weekend Centurions
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Interest in the weekend's leading ratings tightened after The Rating's Bureau's Daniel O'Sullivan published his latest assessment, outlining the horses who either surpassed or reconfirmed the 100-plus benchmark. His racing.com review identified a compact group of runners whose performances either backed up established credentials or indicated that their upper limit may still be rising. Much of his analysis centred on pace, positioning, and the way each race was shaped by the winner's tactical strengths rather than raw numbers alone – a point O'Sullivan often emphasises. Amongst the winners, Jimmysstar (105.7) provided the clearest example. His victory in the Gr1 CF Orr Stakes followed a career peak in the Russell Balding, and both wins featured a similar pattern: a solid tempo set up front and a seasoned six-year-old closing strongly after travelling comfortably behind it. With four consecutive ratings at or above his previous best, he now profiles as a horse performing consistently at top level rather than one producing isolated spikes. O'Sullivan's view that the gelding is finally delivering on his talent appears well supported by the data. In Perth, Joker's Grin (101) contributed a different type of performance in the Colonel Reeves Stakes, improving on his Quokka figure with a win built around adaptability rather than ideal conditions. Dropping to last, circling the field and still finishing over the top is rarely an efficient pattern, yet he handled it with composure and authority. Horses capable of elevating despite a difficult setup often progress quickly, and O'Sullivan's suggestion that there is further upside seems reasonable. Sheeza Alibi (100.5) – a $10,000 bargain buy – reached her own significant marker in the Gr2 Sandown Guineas when unleashing the fastest final 400m of the meeting and producing the race's highest rating in a decade. Lightly raced and still developing, she not only exceeded historical benchmarks but did so in a way that indicates she has more to offer as the autumn features draw closer. North of Sydney, Coal Crusher (100) completed the winners' list with another typical effort in The Hunter, confirming yet again why 1300m at Newcastle is his specialist range. His rating finished narrowly below his 2023 peak but comfortably ahead of last year's placing, continuing the trend of strong performances at the trip. Joe Pride's placement and the horse's clear preference for this distance leave little ambiguity about where he performs best: dominant at 1300m, capable but less effective shorter, and notably flatter beyond it. Amongst those runners who didn't taste success but whose performances also eclipsed the 100 rating KPI, were C.F. Orr Stakes placed duo Angel Capital (103.9) and Evaporate (102). The former was singled out by O'Sullivan as a horse that has his hoof on the till of a Group 1 triumph.
Carbery Hoping to Reunite with Joker in Gr1
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Momentum toward a long-awaited Winterbottom Stakes bid has steadied for Pat Carbery, whose recovery from last week’s race-day fall is progressing smoothly enough to keep his Group 1 plans intact. The timing of the setback forced him to watch Jokers Grin’s Colonel Reeves victory from the sidelines, but the early signs from doctors have been encouraging and point toward a full return in time for Ascot’s $1.5 million sprint. What could easily have become a derailing moment instead appears to be little more than an unwelcome pause. Carbery has been careful to follow the required concussion protocols and was quick to share the medical view of the incident. “When I saw the doctor on Friday, he classed it as a mild concussion,” he told SEN’sGiddy Up, later conceding that the fall “certainly knocked me around but I’m back on track now.” The enforced break has come with strict limits – he’s not allowed to ride at all and has to find other ways to keep fit – but optimism remains the dominant theme. With Shaun O’Donnell deputising in the Colonel Reeves, Jokers Grin again demonstrated why he sits near the top of the Winterbottom market. Dropped out early before unleashing his trademark burst, the gelding swept past his rivals to score by half a length (see below). Carbery watched the performance from home, calling the experience “really weird” but acknowledging the reassurance of having spoken extensively with O’Donnell beforehand where he passed on everything he could. O’Donnell’s post-race reaction offered its own endorsement. “He called me… said, ‘he was better than I thought you thought he was’,” Carbery recounted, pleased but unsurprised. The win added further weight to the belief within Bernie Miller’s stable that Jokers Grin is still climbing. The decision to decline an Everest slot after the Quokka, preferring to let him mature at home, now looks measured rather than conservative. His action suggests he may reach a mile in time, though that will hinge on how well he settles as he continues to develop. As markets stand, Jokers Grin sits as the $3 second pick for the Winterbottom behind Overpass, who arrived in Perth on Tuesday morning, along with a number of other high-profile raiders from the east coast that are hoping to plunder the west's riches.
Champion Tassie Apprentice Joins Lindsay Park
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Progress has been gathering around Jackson Radley in quiet but unmistakable ways, and Friday night’s Newmarket meeting in Launceston will mark the end of his current Tasmanian chapter. According to tasracing.com.au, a little more than two years after winning on debut, the apprentice is preparing to relocate to Victoria, where a new phase of his career awaits under the guidance of the Hayes brothers. He has already forged an early connection with the Lindsay Park operation, riding for them 14 times for three wins and several placings, enough to confirm that the leap across Bass Strait is the natural next step. Radley’s enthusiasm for the move has been in no way diluted by the scale of the challenge ahead. “I’m very excited about the move to Melbourne for Sienna and me. It’s a very good opportunity and I’m really looking forward to going up against some of the best riders in the world each week,” he said. His apprenticeship in Tasmania has yielded rapid progress, highlighted by last season’s 51-win haul, second only to Anthony Darmanin on the overall standings. More telling, though, has been the maturity he has shown when venturing beyond his home state, each outing strengthening the view that his development ceiling lies well above the provincial level. He admits the interstate shift has been on his radar for some time. “It’s been in the works for a while. I was planning on heading over in winter this year, but I hadn’t ridden enough winners, so I had to put it off for a while,” he said. Now on 91 career victories, he departs as a polished and in-demand young rider still searching for his first black-type breakthrough. Friday night offers a final chance to achieve that milestone for local supporters through Wineglass Bay in the Listed Jackson Security Newmarket Handicap. Wineglass Bay arrives unbeaten in three Tasmanian runs since joining John Blacker, though the gelding returns first-up after a strong 1430m win on heavy going at Hobart in July. Radley believes the horse is primed for a forward showing. “I think Wineglass Bay will run well; his work has been very good,” he said. While acknowledging that 1200m may be short of ideal, he is confident the inside half of the draw will allow him to secure a midfield position and build momentum at the right time. Radley also partners Daytona Diva in the night’s other feature, the Baker Group 3YO Cup, where the filly looks well placed after finishing only a length behind Mazzini last start. Regardless of results, celebrations will be short-lived: Radley is booked on the Spirit of Tasmania on Sunday, symbolically turning the page on one phase of his riding life and opening another.
Hayes Sprinters Can Quinella Gr2 HKJC Sprint
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Anticipation around the Jockey Club Sprint deepened this week as David Hayes prepared to launch what might be the most potent two-pronged attack of the meeting, reports racingnews.hkjc.com. The veteran trainer walks into Sunday's HK$5.35 million Group 2 with both the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Ka Ying Rising, and the late-blooming Tomodachi Kokoroe, whose rise from Class 2 grinder to bona fide Group performer has been one of the season's more compelling storylines. Three wins from as many starts have carried the seven-year-old into rare company, and even Hayes admits he did not see this coming. He made no attempt to conceal his admiration for the gelding's transformation. "We'll see him against the champ. I knew I'd have the leading sprinter, but Tomodachi Kokoroe, well it's incredible," he said. What had once been a horse struggling to break through in Class 4 now reads like one of Hong Kong's top three sprinters. "He's a revelation – a fantastic horse." The progression began with a polished first-up win in Class 2 before the streak gathered speed. A subsequent victory earned him a place in the Premier Bowl, where his 1m 07.39s demolition produced the second-fastest 1200m ever recorded in Hong Kong, bettered only by Ka Ying Rising's 1m 07.20s. Hayes attributes part of the late-career awakening to a subtle but inspired gear change. "He's always shown he's a good horse, but he's a horse like so many, who just took that time at the start to adjust to Hong Kong. We're training him the same, but the one thing that has made a massive difference is the one-eyed blinker," he said. Introduced four starts ago, the tweak coincided with a surge in confidence and consistency, carrying the gelding from a rating of 84 to 110. For a horse whose previous win had come in February, the turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. While much of the attention centres on the Sprint, Hayes also brings Straight Arron to the HK$5.35 million Group 2 Jockey Club Cup. The Fastnet Rock gelding, now an earner of HK$21.4 million, began his Hong Kong journey under Hayes before switching stables after three starts. The trainer remains convinced the horse is nearing the shape required to match his long-advertised potential. "He always had the potential to be one of Hong Kong's top middle-distance horses… I thought his first-up run was terrific; he got back and ran home strongly," he said. Straight Arron's recent fourth in the Sha Tin Trophy suggested he is tracking well, and a solid trial has opened the door to two December options: the Longines Hong Kong Cup or the longer Hong Kong Vase. "His trial was really good. He followed Voyage Bubble around and tracked him nicely. We're going to run on the weekend and then decide which is the target race," Hayes said. Harry Bentley reunites with Tomodachi Kokoroe and made his enthusiasm plain. "I'm really looking forward to partnering up with him again. It's a tough ask against Ka Ying Rising, but I am really excited for the challenge. He's in really good order," Bentley revealed.
Ka Ying Rising is clearly the horse to beat (pic: hkjc.com)
Cooksley Pondering Options for Meaningful Star
Thursday, 20th November 2025
A narrow defeat in last weekend’s Gr2 Tauranga Stakes has done little to dim the prospects of Meaningful Star, whose late surge almost toppled Agera and reminded his connections that the gelding remains as competitive as ever, reports loveracing.nz. The effort has left co-trainer Grant Cooksley weighing up whether to defend the horse’s crown in the Great Northern Challenge Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday week, a race that marked one of the highlights of his first season in New Zealand. The notion of backing up there now appears a live option. Cooksley could only admire the way the evergreen nine-year-old closed off. “It was a good run. A couple of more strides and he would have been in front,” he said, noting the gelding’s tendency to prefer galloping room. “He just doesn’t really like racing between horses, he needs a bit of room.” The Irish-bred son of Pivotal has travelled widely through his career, racing in the UK and Hong Kong before settling in New Zealand, where consistent form has followed. Eight wins and 11 placings from 42 starts, along with nearly $1.8 million in prizemoney, reflect both durability and class. More to the point, Cooksley reports that he has bounced through the Tauranga run in tidy order. “He has come through it well. We might go to Ellerslie next week, we will just wait and see.” While Meaningful Star shapes as the stable’s headline act in the coming week, Cooksley’s Saturday team at Pukekohe is equally consequential. A six-strong squad rolls in, headlined by Sacred Satono in the Haunui Farm Counties Bowl. The entire resumes after a luckless run in the Proisir Plate, where nothing aligned from a wide draw. “He sat five and six deep the whole way. It was just one of those races, you couldn’t do anything about it,” Cooksley said. His previous record in the Bowl - a win in 2023 and placings in 2022 and 2024 - suggests the 1100m dash fits him neatly, and his recent work has been encouraging. A summer Group 1 target looms, with the Telegraph and Tarzino Trophy already on his résumé as placings that hint at unfinished business at elite level. Moving Melody gives the stable added punch in the black-type features, stepping into the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes on the back of a strong placing in the Legacy Lodge Sprint. Cooksley believes the 1400m will play to her strengths. “She has come through her race well and the 1400m will probably suit her,” he said. The undercard further reflects the stable’s depth, with Toruk Makto, He’s Classic, Staphanos Queen and Sacred Combatant all engaged across various middle-distance events.
Wizard of The West Weighed Up Railway Call
Thursday, 20th November 2025
Decision-making at the top level is rarely straightforward, and William Pike made that clear as he explained why Watch Me Rock will be his Railway Stakes mount on Saturday. The champion Western Australian rider had the option of sticking with Western Empire, a past winner of the race and a proven Group 1 performer, yet opted for the lighter-weighted stablemate in what amounts to one of the more delicate calls of this year’s carnival. According to racingwa.com.au, the choice reflects form, balance, handicapping history, and instinct in equal measure. Pike, who struck a winning treble on the opening day of The Pinnacles, said the 54kg allotted to Watch Me Rock ultimately tipped the scales. “I’ve elected to go with Watch Me Rock for the Railway,” he told SEN WA Breakfast. It was, he stressed, anything but straightforward. “There’s a lot of competition out there, Western Empire was one of my other main choices.” Even after landing on his pick, he admitted to lingering doubt. “I’m not certain I’ve made the right choice but that’s the choice I’ve made and I’m going to make it work. I do think he’s good enough to win it and good enough to hold any (eastern state) raiders at bay.” Handicap trends also shaped his thinking. Horses carrying 53.5kg or less have claimed 13 of the past 15 editions of the Railway, a pattern impossible to ignore for a rider whose style leans toward economical positioning. “I just like a young horse, pretty much, and it’s a lighter weight,” Pike said. “Historically, at least in the last 10 years, the lighter weight horses have done better.” He added that ability alone offered no clear separation between the pair. “It’s the flip of a coin and honestly I was just trying to find something that worked in my favour. If I picked Western Empire I could probably flip the story in his favour as well.” That the Williams stable entrusts Pike with the final call speaks to their long and successful association. “They’re really good to me. I get to pick which one I want,” he said, noting that even in tight scenarios the dialogue remains open and respectful. “They don’t want to make the wrong call either. So I do get ultimate say. I could have ridden Western Empire if I wanted to, but I was happy to go with Watch Me Rock.” Pike now chases a sixth Railway for the training partnership, having won the race with Elite Belle, Galaxy Star, Regal Power, Inspirational Girl and Western Empire. Billy Egan takes over on Western Empire, while Pike’s other feature ride is rising star King Of Light in the WA Guineas. Unbeaten in four starts, the Dan Morton-trained colt brings talent and a touch of unpredictability. “He is still raw and he is learning his trade, so he’s certainly not a point and shoot,” Pike said. Even so, the excitement is obvious. “He has the ability to win it and he has the ability to win it in his own way.”
