Hong Kong Champion Jockey Joao Moreira produced some dominating performances to mesmerise the crowd at Sapporo today (Sunday, 28 August) as he partnered his first six mounts to victory at the northern Japan track.

But despite his prolific form, the Brazilian ace was unable to notch a win in either of the day's two legs of the JRA World All-Star Jockeys (WASJ) series, for which he was the defending champion. Moreira added only a placed effort to his score sheet on the second and final day to finish an overall fifth behind winner Mirco Demuro.

Moreira was booked for nine rides on the sixth day of a short summer stint in Japan and went out in style in front of the passionate racing fans with his six wins in a row coming aboard Akki, Light Bringer, Maka Le’a, Grand Barows, Satono Messiah and Curren Matador. That sextet matches the same feat he twice achieved at Sha Tin on 1 March 2015 and 27 December 2015, and brings his winning tally in Japan this year to 17. 

Moreira also made the frame in the day's feature, running home second aboard Shuji in the featured G3 Keeneland Cup, a non-WASJ contest. 

Hong Kong's champ ended the World All-Star Jockeys with a points total of 37.  Having banked 16 points to rank fourth after Saturday's first two heats, Moreira kicked off the final stage with six more points despite having to break sweat as his third leg mount Magic Shuttle was withdrawn before the race. In the last leg he rode the five-year-old mare Hatsugatsuo to claim third place and 15 more points. Mirco Demuro scored 80 points to take the overall title.

In the team contest, the local JRA contingent defeated Moreira’s World All-Star Team, 245 points to 208 points.

Moreira will now return to Hong Kong to prepare for the 2016/17 Hong Kong racing season, which kicks off at Sha Tin Racecourse on Saturday, 3 September