Australian
bred four year-old Street Boss (USA) gelding Rapper Dragon is being hailed as
the best four year-old in Hong Kong following a dominant win in the Hong Kong
Classic Mile on Sunday at Sha Tin.
"He seems like something special," said winning rider Joao Moreira, after
Rapper Dragon had dashed away to win the 1600 metre feature eased down by two
lengths as favourite.
"I was always comfortable, all the way through the race.
"When John asked me to ride him forward and race in the top five I was a bit
surprised, but the way he jumps out he was always going to put himself where he
was."
And after bagging the first leg of Hong Kong's three-race Four-Year-Old Classic
Series, Rapper Dragon will head to next month's Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m)
before attempting to stretch his stamina to a mile and a quarter in the BMW
Hong Kong Derby in mid-March.
"The way he won today, you wouldn't doubt that he would step up to 1800m and
perform at his top level, and I also believe he will make it over 2000 metres,"
Moreira said.
The winning time was 1m 34.98s with Rapper Dragon's final 400m clocked at a
race-fastest 22.03s.
"This is a great horse for the stable and a great win for Hong Kong," trainer
John Moore said. "The way he ran today you'd have to say he's 100 percent fit
so the idea now is to keep him at this level for the next two races,
culminating in the Hong Kong Derby.
"I'd been telling the press all week that this is the cleanest-winded horse
I've had in the stable for donkey's years and from that point of view he's very
easy to get fit. His trial was very good and his work coming into the race
today was very good. I was tipping him on top and he's come out and won by two
lengths, which did surprise me a little bit because I didn't think he'd win
that easily!"
Rapper Dragon's win was a fourth in the race for Moore (2014 Able Friend, 2006
Sunny Sing, 2004 Tiber).
Bred by the late Henry Cojuangco at Gooree Stud, Rapper Dragon joined the John
Moore stable after beginning his career with Gai Waterhouse.
Rapper Dragon showed good ability in a five start juvenile campaign for Waterhouse
that yielded a win at Wyong and seconds in the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes to
Pasadena Girl and Group III ATC Schweppervescence Quality to Takedown.
Rapper Dragon has the overall record of six wins and three placings from 14
starts.
A half-brother to stakes-placed Swing Vote, he is the best of three winners
from Danehill Dancer (IRE) mare Swing Dance, a sibling to Group I winner Amanpour
and stakes-winners Turf Express and Sports Edition.
Swing Dance was sold in the dispersal of Henry Cojuangco's stock at the 2015
Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when bought by Michael Wallace
Bloodstock for $360,000.
She is now at Newgate Farm, who sold her current yearling, a colt by Congrats (USA)
at Magic Millions for $110,000 to KS Research.
Swing Dance produced a stunning colt by Deep Field last spring and is now in foal to
Rapper Dragon's Darley based sire Street Boss.