Beauty Generation bidding to give Moore a fond farewell

All eyes will be on Beauty Generation in Sunday’s FWD Champions Mile at Sha Tin, as he bids to give trainer John Moore a golden farewell.

Having reached the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s compulsory age for retirement, Moore will return to the training ranks in his native Australia when the Hong Kong season ends in July, after an illustrious career that has seen him win eight renewals of this Group One heat.

Beauty Generation will become the first three-time winner of the race if he triumphs again in the hands of Zac Purton.

Moore, 70, said: “He keeps doing it! Look at what he can do, racing time and time again on firm tracks, the wins he’s had, the records he’s broken. And they’re all gunning for him.

“He gets out in front and he gets shot at from every angle, but at his best he was so impressive that they were scared to take him on — he’s capable of running sectionals that other horses can’t live with at a mile.”

The coronavirus outbreak has prevented any overseas raiders making the trip to Hong Kong, a factor which causes some regret for Moore.

He added: “People might say, well he only beat the locals, and I’d say ‘you’re right, but this is all we could do with the coronavirus’, so we’re out there to win it and get that third Champions Mile.

“It’s all we can do in the situation the world is in at the moment. The fact is, without the international runners this year it’s still an important event, but it’s not doing what it was put on the racing calendar for.

“It’s a home run event, and, as things are right now, we’re just grateful for that — it provides a great focal point for the sport when you think of all the places that are shut down.”

While Moore is readying for the “next adventure” he does admit when pressed that he occasionally pulls out the old footage of his first flagship racer to gain global recognition.

“I might once in a while have a look at Viva Pataca all those years ago and I go ‘wow’ and I do enjoy that,” he said.

“But it’s more like when you might re-run an old home video of a family gathering and get excited for the old days — I do it sometimes but not often.”