Zac Purton has been “jocked off” Horse Of The Year Military Attack in a well-publicised switch to Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira and the Magic Man has the hot seat for the first time at Sha Tin on Sunday in a Hong Kong Gold Cup with serious implications for Hong Kong prospects in Dubai next month .
It isn’t often that a reigning Horse Of The Year gets to the second half of the new season without a win but a combination of bad draws and ill luck has hampered Military Attack in the hands of Purton, prompting trainer John Moore to switch pilots.
Military Attack has drawn gate two this time in a small field of seven which promises a tactical affair, although four of his six rivals are also from the Moore stable – Dominant, Ashkiyr, Dan Excel and Same World and the trainer also holds the key to the pace with Same World and Dan Excel.
That will keep Douglas Whyte on his toes as Akeed Mofeed seeks to add the Gold Cup to his Hong Kong Cup and the Richard Gibson-trained stallion presents more evidence for his claim as this season’s Horse Of The Year.
The other runner not trained by Moore is Blazing Speed, and the Tony Cruz-trained five-year-old won his first Group One in the Stewards’ Cup last month.
He was a late entry for Dubai after that win but has yet to secure an invitation to the Duty Free and needs to race well on Sunday, while Military Attack, Akeed Mofeed and Dominant are already booked for the World Cup meeting.
Moreira’s replacing Purton on Military Attack mirrors the way the Australian rider’s season has reversed in general, with a huge December lead in the riders’ championship also gone and a cushion of five wins over the Brazilian now.
By Nathan Mody
