Internationally renowned hoop Joao Moreira will be one of the main attractions on what promises to be a sensational Blue Diamond Day at Caulfield on Saturday.
Moreira needs little introduction. Born in Brazil, he was the leading jockey in his home country before bursting onto the world scene with phenomenal success in Singapore – famously riding a world record eight winners from eight rides one evening.
Moreira is now based in the racing mecca that is Hong Kong where his career has gone from strength to strength. In his first full season, he rode 97 (2013-14) winners and finished second in the jockey premiership in spite of having a belated start. In 2014-15, he set a Hong Kong record when riding 145 winners for the season and topping the jockey list.
Many regard Moreira as the best jockey in the world and his rapidly growing list of achievements goes a long way to validating that claim. He is widely known as the “Magic Man” which is a nickname first appointed by Singapore race caller Craig Evans, who felt Moreira was able to weave magic on even the slowest of horses.
Moreira is primarily in Australia to ride Property, who is right at the head of Blue Diamond betting, and his owners are delighted he will take the ride on Tom Melbourne in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes over 1800m.
Tom Melbourne has returned in fine fettle this Autumn and looks on track for an Australia Cup tilt. The 6YO gelding has relished spending this preparation at the stunning Pinecliff base of Lee and Anthony Freedman and has seemingly returned in career best order.
It has already been a big week for the family of Tom Melbourne with his half-sister, Araaja, saluting at Bordeaux in the south-west of France on Tuesday.
Tom Melbourne resumed with a luckless sixth in the Carlyon Cup where missing the start coupled with an inside barrier left him stranded behind a wall of horses when the whips were cracking. Stepping up to the 1800m on Saturday looks ideal and with the world’s leading jockey on board he should get every change to figure in the finish.