SORE LOSER OF THE WEEK
DAVID “DARTH VADER” FERRARIS
It reminded many us of that scene from “Carrie” when she wreaked havoc on her classmates as the ultimate revenge or when Quasimodo heard those bells that made him go absolutely nuts.
We read the rant from David Ferraris in the Morning Post on Saturday- and he is someone whom we genuinely like very much and have always supported. But not this time. Seriously, what was the point of plonking a non-story on the back page of the Racing Post about a horse with zero chance of winning and, being, we think, pretty good journalists, was this David Ferraris being the scapegoat for other trainers hiding behind his skirt and having him take all the bullets on their behalf?
Sure, we call him “Darth Vader” and find his Grumpy Old Men tirades against Hong Kong life, the HKJC, jockeys, rides, other trainers, the size of his Speedos, the length of his sideburns etc to all be harmless fun, but running to the media like a girlie-man and hyper-ventilating like some woman desperate to find their favorite dildo was not on. It all came across as bad form on the eve of the highlight of the Hong Kong racing calendar and left a bad taste in the mouths of many. Yeah, the dildo line will have many thinking, “Did I just read that?”
David Ferraris might be very correct about many things he raged against the HKJC machine about as he is an experienced horse trainer and feels strongly about his job and the welfare of his horses. But there is a time and place for everything and this latest rant was the wrong time and wrong place to blow up like Mount Vesuvius.
Have a cold shower, mate and then do the right thing by having a man-to-man conversation with Dr.Chris Riggs of the HKJC.
Hopefully, it’s not too late and not too many bridges have been burnt and detonated by the hurling of unnecessary verbal grenades. But this is a story to follow as the Fat Lady has not sung and this petty two-column non-story- if that- could implode in ways which reckless people never saw happening.
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ABFAB-ER OF THE WEEK
FRANCESCA CUMANI
You were expecting someone else?
Though we tired of those who kept referring to her as “your typical English Rose”and someone untouchable to bow and scrape in front of together with displaying huge dollops of gawking and fawning over, we found Franny very normal, extremely approachable and who has great taste in shoes- especially those flats in beige and with a small bow.
And while we give huge props to the young journo bloke named Alex from Queensland who followed Franny around at Adrenaline like a lost puppy, she kicked back- yes, she wore those excellent flats- had a beer and mentioned how much she enjoys whacking balls with her big polo stick and, we think, said, enjoying doing this while wearing a mask. It was an Eyes Wide Shit Moment and we got dizzy.
Very into polo and polo players, Franny wants to single-handedly turn the game into a mainstream sport. Maybe that’s where the masks comes in?
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HAPPY WEDNESDAY JOCKEY OF WEEK
JOAO MOREIRA
Winning the Longines International Jockeys Championship was more than impressive and we really hope this is remembered for a long time. What we also liked about the guy was his no bullshit demeanor and just being approachable and, simply put, very nice.
Apart from The Zac Attack who mingled with the plebs while the other jocks seemed to have been coerced into coming to the post-event party at Adrenaline and sat there like toadstools, Moreira met everyone, was happy to have photographs taken with those who asked and was a happy boy. We hope to see him back in Hong Kong on a more permanent basis.
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HAPPY WEDNESDAY TRAINER OF THE WEEK
PETER HO
He might not have the profile of some of the expat trainers, but anyone who can train three winners out of an eight race card on International Jockeys Championship night rates highly in our books.
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THE BLAME GAME AWARD
WINNER: JOHN MOORE
John Moore is a good trainer. One doesn’t win so many big races purely through luck. But running to the media to whinge about how the timing of his stable move might or has disrupted the training of his horses running in the International Races didn’t, how you say, make sense. It was gobbledygook.
Moore had known when the International Races would be happening for a YEAR and, from what we know, had AGREED to the timing of moving to his new stable premises.
It’s sad that this part of the trainer’s tail of woe was not reported in the name of fair play instead of providing John Moore with a convenient Out Clause if his horses failed to measure up in their respective races- and where they didn’t.
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THE “I AM MAD AS HELL AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!”
DAVID “DARTH VADER” FERRARIS
That was Darth’s reaction after reading John Moore’s woe-is-me whingeing and recalling how he and fellow trainer Sean Woods put up with almost a year of construction work right outside their stables and which spooked the horses, the mafoos, the training methods and which saw owners moving their horses and Darth’s voice becoming even more hoarse. And horse. Though we dearly love Darth, it was sad to read his rant against the HKJC and, especially, against Dr Chris Riggs, the day before the International Races.
We are all for freedom of speech and freedom of expression, but are also firm believers that only a rabid dog would bite the hand that feeds you. Wrong timing, Darth. and unfortunate timing.
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RIDE OF THE INTERNATIONAL RACES
GERARD MOSSE ON RED CADEAUX
When he’s good, he’s very very good, When he’s not in the mood, he goes looking for the Golden Arches.
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WINNERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL RACES
AMBITIOUS DRAGON AND ZAC PURTON
For a horse that was nearly withdrawn on the morning of the International Races, the scintillating win of the Tony Millard-trained Ambitious Dragon was almost freakish.
And let’s not forget Zac Purton’s cool-as-ice ride on this horse and his other two winners on the day.
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THE MAMAS AND PAPAS’ CALIFORNIA DREAMING AWARD
MATTHEW CHADWICK AND CALIFORNIA MEMORY
Don’t send a boy to do a man’s job? Well, to his credit, Tony Cruz and that of the owners, entrusted young Matthew Chadwick to partner California Memory and try and win the Longines International Cup for the second time. And Chadwick didn’t disappoint anyone. He was cool, he was calm, he was confident and he was Chadwickian in the way he got the horse travelling and knew exactly when to press the Go button.
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WORST RIDE OF THE DAY
JIMMY CASSIDY ON SEA SIREN
Sorry, but “The Pumper” might be a big deal in Oz, but he was caught looking second-rate in the Hong Kong Sprint.
That whole Olde School of Oz Riding- pump. pump, pump- might still work in Oz, but it looked distinctively outta place and outta time in Hong Kong and the International jockeys riding in a race won by Japan’s Lord Kanaloa, ridden by Yasunari Iwata and trained by Takayuki Yasuda.
As for rumours that trainer John O’Shea was making not-so-subtle queries about training in Hongkers, puhleeeze, don’t make us laugh.
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