HK Mile rivals forewarned: Able Friend 'ready to rumble'

"It was a phenomenal run last time and we thought he was underdone," he

added. "I don't need to do much more with him. I put him down the back over the

grass the other day because it had rained on the dirt track and I didn't want

the same problem with his hindquarters that he had earlier in the season. He did

that and he'll do it again on Thursday."

Moore is confident that the horse he has always considered a

champion-in-waiting is primed and will be able to step up and take the crown on

Sunday.

"If he does what he did the other day in 1:33 on the bit, what more do you

need to do? Why bore it up him? He weighs 1,290 pounds now and we don't want him

much lighter than that -- 1,280 pounds to 1,290 pounds is perfect. The days of

him being 1,244 pounds are gone. He's ready to rumble!"

Able Friend saw off last season's Hong Kong Mile runner-up Gold-Fun when

winning last start, while the 2012 Mile victor Ambitious Dragon was third.

Ambitious Dragon, so brilliant in victory two years ago, missed last season's

edition due to injury and has had only two starts since returning from that

18-month layoff. Both have shown that he retains plenty of ability.

Tony Millard has booked Ryan Moore for his stable star but feels that the

two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year has a bit to find if Able Friend turns up

in the same form as last time.

"Ryan Moore will have a sit on him towards the end of the week, just to get a

feel for him," said Millard of the eight-year-old. "We worked him last week,

just to round him off. He only raced two weeks ago and I was happy with his run.

It was a good run, it's just that that other horse ran a race that if he

reproduces it the Mile's going to be academic -- it was a very big run by Able

Friend.

"Ambitious Dragon's going along nicely. We need a little bit of luck and as

long as we can get there without much to do, well, we've got a ticket so we've

got a chance. He's certainly right there. Frankly speaking I think Able Friend's

got it to lose by the look of his last race -- that was good enough for him to

win any race. He got first run and Joao rode an unbelievable race but he was too

good that day. We'll see what happens."

Moore will work Hong Kong Cup threat Designs On Rome and Dominant, the

defending champion in the Hong Kong Vase, on the Sha Tin turf Tuesday morning.

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