Having conquered Caulfield at his first attempt, Hong Kong’s champion rider Joao Moreira will return to Australia a week later to renew his association with Randwick.
Moreira won Saturday’s Group One Oakleigh Plate on Sheidel and also took out the Group Two Angus Armanasco Stakes aboard Savanna Amour.
He and expat Australian Zac Purton will both fly to Sydney from Hong Kong to ride on Saturday when Moreira will partner the Chris Waller-trained Comin’ Through in the Group One Randwick Guineas.
A younger sibling to the now-retired multiple Group One winner Criterion, Comin’ Through has lost his regular rider Michael Walker who is sidelined indefinitely with a back problem.
“With Michael Walker hurt we booked Jo when Hugh Bowman was suspended,” Waller said.
“We have decided to keep Comin’ Through here for the Randwick Guineas rather than go to Melbourne for the Australian Guineas.
Bowman copped a careless riding suspension in Hong Kong last week and will be out until the March 11 Coolmore Classic meeting.
Moreira and Waller have combined in the past for Group One wins with Brazen Beau in the 2015 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington and He’s Your Man in the 2014 Epsom Handicap at Randwick.
But perhaps the one statistic Moreira wishes he doesn’t have with the trainer is as the jockey when Winx suffered her last defeat when second in the 2015 Australian Oaks.
The mare racked up her 15th successive victory and 10th Group One win in Saturday’s Chipping Norton Stakes.
Moreira will also ride Melbourne sprinter Heatherly in the Group Two Challenge Stakes while Purton will be aboard Malaise in the Guineas and Impending in the Group One Canterbury Stakes for Godolphin.
Waller said Omei Sword, second in Saturday’s Surround Stakes, would not run in the Guineas.
“She won’t back up. She is more likely to go to the Coolmore Classic,” he said.
“From Within will run in the Reisling Stakes. She has come back well since the Magic Millions.”
From Within started equal favourite in last month’s Magic Millions Classic but had an unlucky run and finished 13th of 16 runners.
She has since come back to win a barrier trial at Warwick Farm last week.
