News

MACAU: Star Gladiator Slays Them

9th Nov 2010

Racing And Sports - Harry Troy - Wednesday, 11 November 2010

Star performer Happy Gladiator returned to the winners circle with a dominant win over 1000 metres at Taipa on Sunday.

Happy Gladiator won at his first seven career starts last year, with trainer Gary Moore hailing him as better then his Group winner Viva Pronto, and possibly the best Macau has ever seen.

Following his seventh straight win in December last year Happy Gladiator fractured his near fore sesamoid in training, and the gelding's future looked forlorn.

In desperation Gary Moore contacted Dr.Treve Williams of the Randwick Equine Centre for a prognosis on Happy Gladiator's future.

Fortunately the fracture was higher up in the sesamoid and Dr. Jonathan Lumsden the highly acclaimed Chief Surgeon at the Randwick Equine Centre, was flown to Macau to operate on the gelding.

“We were very lucky the fracture was higher up.”

“Had it been in the lower to middle range we would have had real trouble.” Moore added.

“Dr. Lumsden removed a piece of bone from his sesamoid and then it was just left to time after that.”

Happy Gladiator returned to the race track as a hot favourite on October 3rd, but weakened quickly in the straight after racing on the speed.

“I was really worried after that run that he may not come back.”

“But he pulled up well and continued to go forward and he was carrying a lot more muscle on him Sunday so I was expecting a lot more from him.”

From gate 13 Happy Gladiator burnt off a classy field of sprinters to lead, and raced away inside the final two hundred metres to bolt in.

Happy Gladiator has now won eight of his nine starts on all types of ground, and over $1.7 million in stakes for his connections.

Winning jockey Manoel Nunes has now won six from six on the son of Viscount (Aus) who is a product of the Inglis Scone Yearling Sales.

• Viva Amour was another that bounced back to form for Moore on Sunday with a strong win in the Group 2 Autumn Trophy over 1500 metres.

Viva Amour had not won since romping home in the Grand Lisboa Handicap on Derby day, and his first up run for the season was well below par.

Given a perfect rails hugging ride by Steven Choi, Viva Amour powered home over the last two hundred metres to win from Supreme Caga (Horace Lam), with Gary Moore's other contender Dr. Sweet (Stanley Chin) in third.

Moore admitted after the race that he was pleasantly surprised with the win of the English import.

“He still does not look right in the coat for me; he's not quiet there yet.”

“The give in the ground helped him and he was given a gun ride by Steven.”

Moore has been responsible for the resurrection of Choi's career in the past year.

Choi, who was Macau's Champion apprentice in 2006, outrode his claim in just two seasons.

A race fall in August 2008 sidelined him for a lengthy period and the talented jockey found it hard to re establish himself.

In the 2008 – 2009 season Choi only managed two winners from 155 rides.

After reuniting with Moore last season Choi booted home a respectable 18 winners and is off to a fine start for the new racing year with four winners.