Typhoon Haima has claimed its first Hong Kong victims with jockeys Joao Moreira and Sam Clipperton not being allowed to travel to Melbourne for the two day Cox Plate Carnival at Moonee Valley this weekend.
Hong Kong’s leading jockey Joao Moreira, above, will miss out on the ride on Vadamos in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Hong Kong’s leading jockey Magic Man Moreira was booked to ride Vadamos in the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) for French trainer Andre Fabre who will now have to find a third jockey after Damien Oliver, who was previously booked to ride the French galloper, is out due to suspension.
Vadamos has excellent French form with two wins from his last three starts and the six year old heads to Moonee Valley on the back of a last start win in the Group 1 €450,000 QATAR Prix Du Moulin De Longchamp (1600m) at Chantilly, France on September 11.
As well as being booked to ride $14 chance Vadamos in the Cox Plate, Moreira is also down to ride Gretna in the Listed $120,000 Crockett Stakes (1200m) and Grand Marshal in the Group 2 $300,000 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) for Chris Waller, and Khaseeb in the Group 2 $200,000 Fillies Classic (1600m) and Tashbeeh in the Group 2 $200,000 Crystal Mile (1600m) for the Lindsay park Team.
Clipperton was set to reunite with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained English in the Group 1 $1m Manikato Stakes (1200m) on Friday night after the pair combined to win the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club were concerned that Moreira and Clipperton would not be able to return to Hong Kong for Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting due the impact that the Typhoon Haima would have on the South China coast.
“The concern is not them leaving but will they be able to get back here to ride on Sunday,” Hong Kong steward Steve Railton told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“There are two typhoons in the region and the one is supposed to hit Hong Kong on Friday and Saturday.”
“We had a situation last year where Joao Moreira and Zac Purton were not able to get back for one of our meetings after Group 1 rides in October and being our two champion riders it had a significant effect on betting turnover.
“With our racing and the smaller group of jockeys if Joao Moreira and Sam Clipperton were unable to get back it would mean significant late changes to riders, because they would both have full books, and flow-on effects on turnover.”
Cox Plate market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.90 Winx, $3.80 Hartnell, $15 Vadamos, Yankee Rose, $21 Hauraki, Lucia Valentina, $26 Black Heart Bart, $81 Awesome Rock, $101 Happy Clapper, $126 Happy Trails.
