Ho has Good on song for Classic
BE A Good Horse can underline the merit of the Macau Classic Trial by taking this afternoon's hotly contested Derby in the Portuguese enclave.
The Irish-bred gelding has been astutely prepared for this afternoon's 1,800-metre contest by trainer Lewis Ho who formerly rode in Hong Kong and whose brother, Johnny Ho, is tipped to be granted a Hong Kong trainer's licence for next season. Ho has had the Derby in mind for Be A Good Horse all season and only started to really get stuck into him at trackwork in the past couple of months.
The result has been back-to-back wins for Be A Good Horse, firstly in a prestigious Cup event and then in the Macau Derby Trial. The Trial win - by a comfortable 21/2 lengths from one of today's main rivals, Lucky Governor, with the good outsider Ocean Grove third - came over 1,500 metres. 'That's my slight worry,' said Ho. 'He must now see out 1,800 metres and, with a couple of sprinters in the field, they look sure to go a fast pace. It looks like being a true 1,800-metre test.' Ho then added: 'But Be A Good Horse has done well since the Derby Trial and we are hopeful.' Be A Good Horse will be ridden by the ace French jockey William Mongil, who has stamped his quality all over Taipa this season.
If any jockey can get a horse to switch off and see out 1,800 metres, it is Mongil. Lucky Governor, trained by former Hong Kong amateur jockey 'Hollywood' George Williams and owned by the leading local entrepreneur, Allan Zeman, is a must for the quinellas. This grey has improved with each and every run, loves a wet track and can be guaranteed to see out the 1,800-metre trip.
'I'm hoping the fact that he's had a recent run over 1,800 metres will prove to be his advantage over the rest of them,' said Williams. 'He galloped on the grass this week and went very well.' Of the Peter Leyshan-trained pair, Gary Moore has opted for the wet-track specialist, Altruistic, who was bought specially for Macau by his legendary father George Moore, who will be in attendance this afternoon.
