HK FEB 24 - MILITARY ATTACK GIVES PURTON HIS FIRST GROUP 1 WINNER FOR THE JOHN MOORE STABLE

By Hong Kong Jockey Club | Sunday, February 24, 2013

John Moore has always rated Military Attack a Group 1 winner in the making and the horse proved the trainer’s judgement to be spot on with a stunning breakthrough win in the HKG1 Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup today.

“We’ve always thought this horse could put together a run like that and the closing quarters proved he can be ridden handy off that kind of pace.

"The hope for the future now is that he can put another Group 1 win together,” said the trainer, for whom this was a fifth success in eight editions of the 2000m contest.

The win represented the forging of a new G1 partnership as jockey Zac Purton landed a first top level win for the Moore stable.

The rider settled Military Attack handy on the rail after jumping smartly from gate one as stable mate Same World led ahead of Liberator.

“John asked me to get three back the fence if I could – he was quite specific about that instruction,” said Purton. “I didn’t expect him to jump as well as he did, I could have nearly led them up early, so I was taking a bit of a tug on him just asking him to come back.

“Because my horse doesn’t race so handy generally, I was trying not to let him use himself too much, so I was letting Same World go a little bit just to let my horse travel comfortable beneath me and within himself – if I was chasing him I would have been doing too much.”

After getting the hoped for dream run three back, Purton switched the five-year-old out in the stretch between Same World and the flagging Liberator.

When he asked the question, Military Attack responded with a surge at the 200m mark that took him to a commanding two and a half-length verdict over the deep closing Pure Champion in a time of 2m 03.01s. Stablemate Xtension was a further short-head back in third under Douglas Whyte.

“It was a fantastic feeling,” recalled the rider. “I just poked my head through the gap and once I got through there I knew I had the race won, I sort of just put a hold on him there before I let him go and his turn-of-foot was explosive.

“We know he can reel off good sectionals – every time he goes out there to race he runs 22 something – so I thought if he produced that again he would blow them away today. That was no fluke!”

Owner Steven Lo Kit Sing and Moore will consider options for both Military Attack and the owner’s Xtension, with a venture overseas a possibility for both.

“I’ll look at the (G1) Dubai Duty Free for Military Attack and Zac can ride him, if we’re invited,” said Moore.

“Xtension’s run today was full of merit. He was not quite at his tops yet today and he could go to Dubai too if invited – Douglas would ride him.”

The victory saw Purton end the day with his advantage in the jockey’s title race cut to one.

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