High-priced filly flags new Moore approach
Luke Sheehan
@LukeDSheehan
John Moore's time training horses in Hong Kong is nearing an end, a fact highlighted by the Sydney-born horseman's business strategy on day one of the Magic Millions sale on the Gold Coast.
Seven-time HK champion trainer Moore, who turns 67 in March, got his hands on Lot 117 on Wednesday - an I Am Invincible filly out of Is Amazing - for a lazy $575,000.
And he said buying into female equine athletes showed his time in charge of the family training operation in Hong Kong - he works with bloodstock agent and son George - was coming to a close.
"She [Lot 117] is a great type. I love the pedigree - the mare's had three to race, and they're all winners. So that was impressive," Moore told Racing.com.
"Retirement's on the horizon for me out of Hong Kong, so I said to George, 'I better start buying some fillies, so if I do come back to Australia, we'll have some nice fillies racing'.
"So that's the business approach at this stage.
"[Normally] we'd only buy colts for Hong Kong, and nurture them here in Australia and get them to Kong Kong [to race].
"With retirement on the horizon - well, the Jockey Club's going to retire me. That being the case, I've got to look into the female side of racing.
"This is the start of it."
And whether or not Moore decides to move back to the country of his birth, and pick up the training reins down under, remains to be seen.
"I've just got married again to a Chinese lady, and like all of us, I've got to sit down with the wife and discuss where we retire to, and whether we stay in Hong Kong part-time or come back to Australia full-time, and train a few myself. That's still up in the air," he added.
"I love the game, I love what I do, I love getting out of bed in the morning because there's always something different going on.
"You just might see me back in Australia."
https://www.racing.com/news/2017-01-11/high-priced-filly-flaunts-new-moore-approach
