Brazilian Moreira Wins Perth Challenge
- Saturday, 27 November 2010 07:59
Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira has made a successful hit-and-run raid on Perth's International Jockey Challenge with a stunning victory on outsider Naku Penda in the final race of the two-event series.
Moreira, 27, flew into Perth at 6am (WST) on Saturday after landing four winners on Friday night in Singapore where he has ridden a record 111 winners for the season.
"When I got here I went straight away to the hotel to have a good rest and I am feeling very good now," Moreira said.
He collected $20,000 as his prize for winning the Challenge which also featured Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Gerald Mosse, fellow French champion Olivier Doleuze, South African Robbie Fradd and Irishman John Egan.
Moreira only got the call to attend the Challenge last Monday after American jockey Jose Verenzuela was unable to compete for personal reasons.
"It is very much a pleasure to be here," Moreira said.
"They called me on Monday so I said straight away I want to go."
Moreira was scheduled to leave on a flight back to Singapore on Saturday night so he could ride at Kranji on Sunday.
To win the Challenge a rider needed to win one of the two races.
West Australian jockey Paul Harvey won the first leg on Copper Reign ($7) who scored by a long head from Dane Commodore ($18), ridden by Nick Hall, with Elle Choisit ($7.50), ridden by Doleuze, a head away third.
Moreira finished seventh on Romida ($13) but nailed the Challenge when he stormed home on Naku Penda($21), who cornered in fifth place, to score by 1-1/4 lengths from Delta Bay ($5), ridden by Mosse, with Darren Gauci's mount Pin Rouge ($4.80 fav) a head away third.
Naku Penda had finished eighth at his last two starts at Ascot this month and trainer Mike Powell was quick to praise the efforts of Moreira.
"You need all that luck in racing and he is a superstar jockey," Powell said.
"He was the difference for sure, and I backed all his winners last night as well."
Powell, who also engaged Doleuze for Naku Penda's stablemate Gondorff who finished sixth earlier at the meeting, said to be associated with such great riders was a huge thrill.
"It was such a privilege for a person like myself to put Olivier Doleuze and Moreira on," Powell said.
"It is a dream come true."
Final tally:
34 Joao Moreira; 30 Paul Harvey; 21 Olivier Doleuze, Darren Gauci; 20 Gerald Mosse, Nick Hall; 18 Clare Lindop, John Egan; 13 Robbie Fradd; 12 Michael Walker; 9 Brad Rawiller; 8 William Pike, Shaun O'Donnell; 6 Damien Oliver.
