Eagle Way has already given John Moore one Group 1 victory - as an owner - but the trainer has “high hopes” that the four-year-old can secure a first Hong Kong-side G1 win in the HK$10m Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.

A late maturer in Australia, Eagle Way progressed to win the G1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm last June when prepared by Bryan Guy. It was the last of 13 starts down under for the More Than Ready gelding, who had raced in Moore’s ownership since he was bought as a yearling from the 2014 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

“I’ve always wanted to win a Group 1 in Australia and so to do it as an owner was something different,” Moore said at Sha Tin trackwork on Thursday morning (25 May). “It’s still a target of mine to win an Australian Group 1 as a trainer and maybe this horse might be a candidate next year – he could be a horse for the Melbourne spring, maybe races like the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup. This year, however, he will remain in Hong Kong.”

 

Eagle Way impressed with a first-up win over a mile in December – “Like Werther,” Moore says – but he found the three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series too sharp, finishing on the heels of the place-getters in the Hong Kong Classic Mile, the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m).

However, the step up to a mile and a half last start proved the catalyst for another victory as the Siu Pak Kwan-owned chestnut took out the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap over Sunday’s course and distance, fending off stablemate Helene Charisma, who reopposes on Sunday.

“His programme leading into this has been perfect, he’s a horse that needs a mile and a half to two miles,” the handler said. “He always looked in need of extra ground throughout the four-year-old races, and then he produced a very good run in the lead-up to the Queen Mother when he had to make a long run. His Queen Mother win was terrific. Everything he has shown me suggests this race is ideal.”

Eagle Way took to the Sha Tin turf under raceday partner Joao Moreira for his final piece of work on Thursday morning, a 1200m gallop in company with stablemate Green Card, who contests Sunday’s Class 3 Mr Medici Handicap (1400m). The pair completed their hit-out in 1m 20.4s (27.8, 29.2, 23.4).

“I’m very happy with how he is this morning, I’ve been happy the whole way through,” Moore said. “Joao didn’t ask him for too much, but he reported that the horse feels better than he did going into the Queen Mother. He’s peaking for this run.

“I’m going in with very high hopes that he’s going to run a very big race. I think there’s not much between my top chances but right now I’m thinking Eagle Way is the horse to beat.”