RYAN MOORE completed a £2.8MILLION Group 1 Grand Slam in Hong Kong – thanks in part to the magnificent Mogul.
Aidan O’Brien’s superstar was no match for the others as he swooped to land Moore a third Hong Kong Vase – for a cool £1.1m.
"It's MOGUL for Ireland!"
A third HK Vase for Ballydoyle.
#HKIR #HKRacing pic.twitter.com/Dkt1N8UiJq
— Hong Kong Racing (@HongKong_Racing) December 13, 2020
And victory on Danon Smash gave Moore his first Hong Kong Sprint title – plus £1.2m for coming first.
That means Moore joins Zac Purton, Joao Moreira and Gerald Mosse as the only jockeys to complete the slam, which involves winning the Vase, Sprint, Mile and Cup.
Moore won a total of £2.8m for connections on the day – coming out of the money places just once in seven races.
But it was Mogul that caught the eye more than any others and the three-year-old, who showed a rapid turn of foot, was cut to 12-1 for next year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Speaking after his win on Mogul, Moore, recently criticised by Sky Sports Racing host Leonna Mayor, said: “He’s a horse that we always expected a lot from.
“Today, the race worked out nicely for him, he’s beaten a really solid yardstick in Exultant.
“He (Exultant) always seems to consistently perform to the same level and never seems to run a bad race around here. He’s put them away very nicely.
“In reality, I was in front sooner than would have been ideal today but he took me there nicely.
“When he gets in front, he maybe lacks a bit of concentration still but he’s a beautiful looking horse.”
Moore, who could only manage third on Magical behind victor Normcore in the Cup, added: “He loves decent ground. I think a few times the ground was a little bit against him.
“Maybe even in America, the pace was wrong but the ground might have been loose enough.
“At York, the ground might have been deep enough for him that day. These fast, flat tracks suit him. They let him show what class he has.”
A cracking effort from Magical (3rd) in the HK Cup.
No match for NORMCORE, but she put it all in once again.
#HKIR #HKRacing pic.twitter.com/CbE710N4tx
— Hong Kong Racing (@HongKong_Racing) December 13, 2020
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