Trainer Gary Moore’s often rampant enthusiasm at the track is infectious, giving off a vibe of excitement which is arguably only bettered by him when his carefree celebration of success overflows in the moment when a horse he trains passes the post first.
Now, at seventy years of age, Moore is bouncing into a new challenge, seemingly with all of his considerable energy intact and propelling him on to a new venture … or should that read, into a new chapter of an old theme.
Moore had been licenced by the Macau Jockey Club for the 2022-23 season and he now finalise plans to will return to Macau after spending the last eight years training at Rosehill in Sydney.
Moore first trained in Macau in the 2001-2002 racing season and won his first Champion Trainer’s Title in the 2004-2005 season. He would go on to secure that honour a further seven times in his thirteen year stay in Macau, annexing his eighth title in 2014.
While Moore has been successful all around the world both as a jockey and a trainer, Macau has certainly played a big part in Moore’s life, a fact he warmly acknowledged after that 2014 title win when, before departing for Australia, he said, “I am deeply indebted to the Macau Jockey Club for the opportunities they have given me. I love Macau and I love the people and this place will be forever in my heart.”
Well, soon he will be back in the land that treated him so well, and he will arrive determined to achieve new goals.
Speaking to the Asian Racing Report, Moore confided that, while he had enjoyed plenty of big race success in Macau, the Macau Derby had been one feature race that had eluded him and that he would be looking to set that record straight when he returns to Macau.
“I have three goals in mind,” Moore told Michael Fox of the Asian Racing report. “I want to make it ten trainers’ premierships, I want to win a Macau Derby, which has eluded me, and I want a horse that is good enough to go and tackle the Hong Kong Group races.”
Moore, who hopes to be in Macau by September, is already working hard towards those goals, trying to source the right horses to build his stable into the force it was during his first training stint in Macau … and in particular to find that elusive Derby winner.
Moore certainly has all the credentials to be able to identify the right stock as, apart from his training bona fides, Moore’s jockey resume also boasts being Champion Rider in Hong Kong on no less than seven occasions as well as another notable distinction of having ridden Gold River to victory in the 1981 Prix de l’Arc De Triomphe.
No relocation undertaking is ever easy … but it would seem that Moore has a lot of positives on his side going into this new venture and few would bet against him hitting the ground running.
