How Berry and Prebble put 'Magic Man' Moreira in his place

Two great feature-race winning rides – full of character but very different in nature – by Tommy Berry and Brett Prebble consigned new golden boy Joao Moreira to his own test of character on a memorable Sunday at Sha Tin.

Berry’s tactical masterpiece on Designs On Rome in the Classic Cup was racing’s equivalent of Babe Ruth pointing to the centre-field bleachers and calling his shot – he told us all what he was going to do a day earlier and executed his plan to perfection. And while Berry’s ride rightfully earned kudos,  Prebble’s display on Lucky Nine was no less admirable as far as tests of nerve go.

In Saturday’s South China Morning Post, Berry spelt out how he planned to roll hot favourite Able Friend – stalk him in the run, then take the big chestnut out of his comfort zone by sprinting for home early and draining the sprint out of his star rival.

“I want to be in a position where I can get going a little bit earlier than Able Friend does – that’s my best chance of beating him,” he said. “He might still be a bit sharp for us over this trip, but we are a great chance of beating him, especially if I can get the right run and get rolling when I want to. So he is not unbeatable, and if we are a bit closer at the top of the straight, a few lengths off him, I think we can run him down.”

Who needs post-race quotes when you have prophetic pre-race quotes like that? Berry got the clean jump he wanted and played to his  horse’s strength – an ability to make a long, sustained run – flushing Joao Moreira out of his two-wide spot on the 1.7 shot with his early move and exposing him a long way from home. Clearly the two dominant horses of their age group, Designs On Rome and Able Friend have now finished one-two in each of the first two legs of the four-year-old series and will renew hostilities in March 16's Hong Kong Derby.