Peter Moody is relying on the form of Australia’s best middle distance mare More Joyous and the reputation of the country’s best race to assess the prospects of his runner, King’s Rose, in Sunday’s Group One Champions Mile in Hong Kong.
Moody admits he has set his mare an ambitious task in tackling a high-class international field in the $A2 million race, but he believes her opposition at Sha Tin will be no more classy than that which she has been racing against at home.
“I think if More Joyous was in this race she would be favourite,” Moody said.
King’s Rose finished third to More Joyous in the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill three weeks ago, and according her trainer should have finished a lot closer to the winner.
“We rode her upside down,” he said.
“We sat outside the leader and towed More Joyous into the race.
“That’s not her style, she’s much better ridden midfield or back.”
King’s Rose also finished third at her previous run in the Group One Coolmore Classic where her trainer said she was bogged down in a bad section of the track.
But the piece of form Moody is hoping will play out on Sunday is King’s Rose’s effort in last spring’s Cox Plate in which she finished seventh, only four lengths from the winner.
“She had no luck in the Cox Plate,” he said.
“I still swear and declare she should have gone close to winning that.”
King’s Rose has been in fine form since arriving in Hong Kong a week ago and worked stylishly at Sha Tin on Wednesday morning over 1400m, covering the final 400m in 24.7 seconds.
The New Zealand-bred, Hong Kong-owned mare is up against a formidable field of local and international runners, including last year’s winner Xtension, Hong Kong’s best galloper Ambitious Dragon and the territory’s most promising horse Glorious Days.
The line-up also includes last month’s Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape and African Story, the runaway winner of the Godolphin Mile on the same World Cup program at Meydan.
