Able Friend flicked aside a field of top-class rivals to win the G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin racecourse today, Sunday, 23 November.

Like a lion swatting flies, the strapping chestnut was almost casual in victory as he purred down the home stretch at a rate of knots that not one but two Hong Kong champions were unable to match.

After sitting handy in midfield under Joao Moreira, Able Friend cruised upsides the leader at the top of the stretch. A slight shake of the reins 250m from the wire was enough to end the race as a contest; the Shamardal five-year-old quickened to the front and rolled away from his nine opponents for a two and a quarter-length success.

“Riding such a good horse like him makes my life so much easier,” said Moreira, who had no need to use his whip and was able to ease his mount a few strides from the line.

“He’s done it extremely easily. He was going so good I didn’t have to pull out the whip or squeeze him up because I wanted him to be feeling good with himself. He was going to get there so there was no point knocking him around and he’s crossed the line full of himself.”

Able Friend’s triumph strengthened his position as one of the prime candidates for the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday, 14 December, for which this race is the prime local trial.

“There doesn’t have to be much improvement based on his run today,” said Moreira. “He’s such a good horse. He’s probably one of the best horses I’ve ridden in my life so let’s look forward and see what he can do in the Hong Kong Mile.”

Trainer John Moore has long asserted that the Australian-bred Able Friend has all the hallmarks of a champion and is now looking forward to the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile with eagerness.

“We all know that I said I thought he was slightly underdone for today but after that facile win, I don’t think I’ve got to do much more before the international meeting,” said the handler. “He ran a very strong 1m 33s on the bit, so from that point of view I’ll just keep him at this level for the big day. Going in, we’re full of hope now.”

Able Friend’s exact winning time was 1m 33.46s with a final 400m split of 21.41s. Hong Kong’s Champion Miler, the Richard Gibson-trained Gold-Fun, chased in vain to claim second place. Former two-time Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon, having his second start after an eighteen-month injury lay-off, ran on to finish two and three-quarter lengths behind the winner in third.