Able Friend the most

exciting racehorse on the planet runs this weekend in the Champions Mile at Shatin, the trainer is confident we will see an improved performance from the highest rated horse racing...

Able Friend is expected to head to Royal Ascot in June where he is as low as 2/1 to win the Queen Anne( if you shop around you can steal some 7/2 )

what Moore says about his charge


"I really hadn't put my foot down, with respect to his prep for that last race. This time he's going in a really fit horse. He looks really well in the coat and Joao (Moreira) mentioned after his work at the end of last week that he thought he was the best he's been for a long time."

A star look forward to Ascot

Win or lose the trainer says will come to Ascot

Will be nice to see how he does at Ascot, especially since Variety Club trounced him.

Marc Lingard wrote: Will be nice to see how he does at Ascot, especially since Variety Club trounced him.

yup but hes a different horse since then imo

Bob Brogan wrote: Win or lose the trainer says will come to Ascot

Liesl King just sent me this pic and says Able Friend might only travel if he can get a direct flight

Thanks Liesl

Bob Brogan wrote:

Marc Lingard wrote: Will be nice to see how he does at Ascot, especially since Variety Club trounced him.

yup but hes a different horse since then imo

You are dreaming Rab my boy. VC beat him while he was a 5 year old or late 4 year old. No excuses for him, he got klapped!

I agree with Chris, Bob.

Having looked at his form, despite what his ratings increase say, he's running exactly the same as he was then. He's beating the same horses that were behind him against Variety Club by pretty much the same margins. The collateral form of that race seems to hold up very well.

Here's a superficial look at Able Friend's form (first run at the top):
1st (2.25 lengths)
3rd (1.25)
1st (1.25)
1st (2.00)
1st (0.50)
2nd (1.50)
2nd (0.50)
1st (1.75)
2nd (4.00) -> Variety Club -> Gold Fun (5th) 2.00 lengths behind Able Friend
4th (1.00)
1st (2.25) -> Gold Fun (2nd) 2.25 lengths behind Able Friend
1st (4.25) -> Gold Fun (2nd) 4.25 lengths behind Able Friend
1st (1.50) -> Gold Fun (6th) 3.50 lengths behind Able Friend
1st (2.25) -> Gold Fun (3rd) 3 lengths behind Able Friend
1st (1.25)

Gold Fun has raced 22 times. Aside from the race against Variety Club where he was beaten 6.00 lengths, his biggest defeat was that 4.25 by Able Friend. Both Able Friend and Gold Fun were handed their biggest margins of defeat by Variety Club and the difference between the two of them has been between 2.00 and 4.25 lengths in 5 meetings.

I just had a look at the IFHA ratings.
Able Friend is at 125, still one point behind Variety Club.
Maybe he has improved to close the gap that much but I'm not convinced.

So easy for him again..very special horse

As for his performance vs Variety club..VC was just exceptional on the day. Able friend did not have the best of runs and still steamed home and would have been a winner in any other race. To be honest I thought VC performance should have been rated higher than anything Kingman or Australia had done that season.

Magic never moved a muscle

Cheers Bob

Hong Kong: Star miler Able Friend will do battle at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

Trainer John Moore was able to relay the news following a meeting with owner Dr Cornel Li Fook Kwan. Able Friend has carried all rivals before him domestically, and is unbeaten in his last six starts.

Already favourite for the Queen Anne at 2-1, Able Friend will be one of the top billings for this year's Royal meeting, and Moore is looking forward to seeing how his star measures up on the international stage.

He said: "Of course I am excited but this is his biggest test. We are taking on the cream of the crop, this is our intention, to take on the very best, but we aren't going in thinking the result is a foregone conclusion.

"I have been there as a spectator many times and I think I have the horse to do the job, but this is the world stage and we are tackling them on their home turf."

Chief among Able Friend's dangers is Dubai World Cup night winner Solow, who was impressive in the Dubai Turf, while Night Of Thunder, Karakontie and Toormore are other possible runners.

Able Friend's participation will still be reliant on a good trial on his local stomping ground at Sha Tin at the start of June, and if he pleases Moore he will not journey over alone as stablemate Not Listenin'tome is also set to make the trip and contest the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.