Able Friend ( zh, 步步友:, link=no foaled 19 September 2009) is an Australian-bred, Hong Kong-trained

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse. After showing some promise when winning one of his two races in his native country, the

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

was transferred to race in Hong Kong in 2013. In the 2013/2014 season he established himself as one of the best milers in Hong Kong with four wins including the

Hong Kong Classic Mile The Hong Kong Classic Mile is a domestic Group 1 four year old set weights Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run over a distance of 1600 metres. It was originally a Group 3 race and was the traditional lead-up race for the Hong Kong Derby. In t ...

and the

Chairman's Trophy The Chairman's Trophy is a Group 2 set weights Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run at Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin over a distance of 1600 metres, and takes place in early April. Horses three years old and older are qualified to enter this race ...

from seven races. In the following season his wins in the

Jockey Club Mile The Jockey Club Mile is a Group 2 set weights Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run at Sha Tin over 1600 metres in November. In the 2003/2004 racing season, this race was upgraded to a domestic Group 2 event. The race was promoted to Internatio ...

(2014) and

Hong Kong Mile The Hong Kong Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December ...

saw him rated among the best racehorses in the world. By the International Ratings of 127, he was officially the highest internationally rated Hong Kong racehorse ever. He was crowned as the

Hong Kong Horse of the Year Horse of the Year is the most prestigious honor in Thoroughbred horse racing given by racing organizations in a variety of countries around the world. In Hong Kong, the voting for Horse of the Year is organized by the Hong Kong Jockey Club as par ...

in 2015.

Background

Able Friend is a chestnut

, with a white

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

on his right hind leg bred in Australia by Stuart Ramsey's Ramsey Pastoral Co Pty Ltd. He was sired by the Godolphin stallion

Shamardal Shamardal (27 March 2002 – 16 April 2020) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and in France and was voted the 2004 European Champion Two-Year-Old. Background Bred at Watercress Farm in Paris, Kentucky, Shamardal w ...

who won six of his seven races in Europe including four

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

events. On his retirement from racing he became a "shuttle" stallion standing in Ireland for part of the year before moving to Australia for the southern hemisphere breeding season: his progeny have included Mukhadram,

Lope de Vega Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio ( , ; 25 November 156227 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Age of Baroque literature. His reputation in the world of Spanish literature ...

, Dan Excel (

Singapore Airlines International Cup The Singapore Airlines International Cup was a Group 1 flat horse race in Singapore which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Kranji over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place ...

) and Casamento (

Racing Post Trophy The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...

). Able Friend's dam Ponte Piccolo was a successful racemare who won the Keith F Nolan Classic in 2005. She was great-granddaughter of the Irish-bred broodmare Royal News, whose other descendants have included Hit The Roof (

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbour ...

) and Ivory's Irish (

Australian Derby Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

). Able Friend is an unusually large racehorse, with a peak racing weight of 1315 pounds (596 kg), and is nicknamed "Elephant" by his stable staff. In 2011, Able Friend was sent to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and was bought for A$550,000 by George Moore, the son of the leading Hong Kong trainer John Moore.

Racing career

2012/2013: three-year-old season

In the autumn of 2012, Able Friend began his racing career in Australia by finishing second to Balzac at

Rosehill Racecourse The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse is located in the Western Sydney suburb of Rosehill, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is operated by the Australian Turf Club. Rosehill holds horse races for thoroughbred gallopers on a grass su ...

, and then recorded his first victory when taking a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

Wyong Wyong () is a town in the Central Coast of New South Wales, located approximately 63 km SSW of Newcastle and 89 km NNE of Sydney. Established in 1888, it is one of the two administrative centres for the local government area. Hist ...

on 22 November. In January 2013 he was sent to race in Hong Kong where he was trained by John Moore and owned by Dr & Mrs Cornel Li Fook Kwan. On his Hong Kong debut he carried 125 pounds and defeated thirteen opponents in a 1200-metre handicap race at Sha Tin on 8 June.

2013/2014: four-year-old season

Able Friend began his first full season in Hong Kong by finishing third in a handicap on 12 October, and then recorded wins in handicaps over 1400 metres in November and 1600 metres in December. In January the cgelding was stepped up in class for the Group 1 Hong Kong Classic Mile. Ridden by João Moreira, he was made the odds-on favourite and won by half a length from the Irish import

Designs On Rome Designs On Rome (foaled 17 March 2010) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known for his performances in Hong Kong where he was named Horse of the Year in 2014. Background Designs On Rome is a bay gelding bred in Ireland by th ...

. After the race Moore said "This was the best Classic Mile field that I’ve seen since I’ve been in Hong Kong, and from that point of view, I think I’ve got the real deal on my hands; I believe he’ll be one of Hong Kong's leading lights in the future" whilst Moreira commented that the winner "could possibly be the best horse I have ridden". Able Friend finished second to Designs On Rome over longer distances in his next two starts, being beaten one and a half lengths by his rival in the

Hong Kong Classic Cup The Hong Kong Classic Cup is a Thoroughbred set weights horse race in Hong Kong for four year olds, run over a distance of 1800 metres. The first three finishers in this race have priority to run in the Hong Kong Derby, which is the most prestigious ...

and by half a length in the

Hong Kong Derby The Hong Kong Derby is a Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1873. Restricted to horses four-years-old only since 1981, the race is run in mid-March and is the premier event on the domestic racing programme with a purse of HK$18 m ...

. He was then dropped in class and distance in April for the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy in which the

Mauritian Mauritians (singular Mauritian; french: Mauricien; Creole: ''Morisien'') are nationals or natives of the Republic of Mauritius and their descendants. Mauritius is a multi-ethnic society, with notable groups of people of South Asian (notably I ...

jockey Karis Teetan deputised for the suspended Moreira. After Able Friend the race by beating Packing Whiz and three others, Moore suggested that the horse might be sent to

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

for the

Queen Anne Stakes The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and is scheduled to take pl ...

. On his final appearance of the Hong Kong season Able Friend started 7/10 favourite for the

Champions Mile The Champions Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) on the turf at Sha Tin Racecourse with the total purse of HK$14m in 2014/15, approx ...

ahead of a field which included

California Memory California Memory () is an American-bred Hong Kong based Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the nominees of 2010-2011 Hong Kong Horse of the Year. Background California Memory is a grey gelding sired by Highest Honor out of the mare Kalpi ...

Gold-Fun Gold-Fun (大運財, formerly known as Strada Colorato 17 January 2009 – 7 August 2016) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse trained in Hong Kong since 2012. He is notable for winning the Hong Kong Classic Mile 2013, National Day Cup ...

, Dan Excel and

Gordon Lord Byron Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

. He proved the best of the locally trained runners but was no match for the South African challenger

Variety Club Variety, the Children's Charity is a charitable organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1927. History On October 10, 1927, a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On ...

and finished second, four lengths behind the winner.

2014/2015: five-year-old season

Able Friend was dropped back to sprint distances for his seasonal debut as his preparation race, at which he finished fourth to Aerovelocity when carrying 133 pounds in the 1200 metre handicap on 26 October. The gelding prepared for the Hong Kong Mile with a run in the

on 23 November. He started the odds-on favourite and won by two and a quarter lengths from Gold-Fun with Ambitious Dragon in third. The Hong Kong Jockey Club's report on the race likened Able Friend's dismissal of his opponents as resembling "a lion swatting flies". On 14 December, Able Friend started the 4/6 favourite for the 24th running of the Hong Kong Mile. The ten-runner field included Grand Prix Boss (

NHK Mile Cup The NHK Mile Cup () is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies, run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately one mile) on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse in May. The NHK Mile Cup is sponsored b ...

), Hana's Goal (

All Aged Stakes The All Aged Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April or May during the ATC Autumn Carnival. Prize money is A$600,0 ...

) and World Ace from Japan, while Britain was represented by Trade Storm (

Woodbine Mile The Woodbine Mile is a Grade I stakes race on turf for Thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up held annually in mid September at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Currently sponsored by Ricoh, the Woodbine Mile offers a purse of Can$1, ...

) and Captain Cat ( Superior Mile). The locally trained opposition to the favourite was headed by Gold-Fun and

Glorious Days Glorious Days () is a Hong Kong based Thoroughbred racehorse. In the season of 2013–2014, he won the Hong Kong Mile The Hong Kong Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is ...

. In the early stages Able Friend raced towards the rear of the field before being switched to the outside 400 metres out. He took the lead 200 metres from the finish and drew away to win by four and a quarter lengths from Gold-Fun with Grand Prix Boss in third. Following the race, Moore said "He's phenomenal. He's got that turn of foot and can relax and not waste energy, then he explodes when you show him daylight. I've got one of the best milers on the planet and we'll go for the Stewards' Cup and I'll try to convince the owner to go for the

Duty Free A duty-free shop (or store) is a retail outlet whose goods are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country, wh ...

." On 25 January Able Friend started 1/4 favourite for the Stewards' Cup against a field which included Gold-Fun, Ambitious Dragon, Blazing Speed and Glorious Days. He was held up by Moreira before making rapid progress in the straight and won by one and a half lengths from Beauty Flame. After the race, Moore described the gelding as the best horse he had ever trained, ahead of

Viva Pataca Viva Pataca () (foaled 7 May 2002) is a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse, who achieved his greatest success when trained in Hong Kong. Background Bred by the Dukes of Devonshire and Roxburghe, he was out of the mare Comic and sired by E ...

but admitted that "he's got to go overseas to prove himself". In March, Able Friend added a victory in the 1400 metre Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup despite being boxed in on the rail until the closing stages. On 7 April Able Friend took his winning run to five when he won the Chairman's Trophy for the second time. The gelding then started 1/4 favourite for the

and won "very easily" from Rewarding Hero and Dan Excel. It was described as 'an absolute hand canter.' On his final appearance of the season, Able Friend was sent to Europe to contest the

. He sweated badly and not on his usual calm demeanour before the race, and was never in contention, finishing sixth of the eight runners behind the French gelding Solow.

2015/2016: six-year-old season

Able Friend was off the course for four months before returning in the Premier Bowl at Sha Tin on 25 October. Carrying top weight over six furlongs he came from last to first in the closing stages to win by half a length from Gold-Fun. He then races in the

as a prep race for the

, but he disappointed the public by finishing only third. This raised speculations whether Able Friend could return to his best in the

in December 13. In that race, he had to face the challenge of the Japanese contingent

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

, who won the

Yasuda Kinen The Yasuda Kinen (English: Yasuda Memorial, Japanese and Chinese language: 安田記念) is a Japanese International Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at the Tokyo Racecourse in Tokyo. Raced annually each June, the Yasuda Kinen is run at a dis ...

and the

Mile Championship The Mile Championship is an Graded stakes race, International Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) on the turf at Kyoto Ra ...

, thus generally regarded as the best miler in Japan of the generation. Therefore, the race has been built up as the battle for the crown of 'Asia's best miler'. Able Friend was found mildly lame with a sore off-fore hoof that morning, but was allowed to run after further examinations by the vets. He went past Maurice early in the straight, but the chestnut didn't sustain his run and Maurice fought back to win the race. Able Friend faded on his run so much he was also beaten by another horse at the end, finishing third. He hung out in the last 200M of the race like sore horses tend to do, which is suggestive that the lameness resulted in Able Friend's failure to finish in the way he can. The injury is most likely to be blamed for his defeat. It was reported on January 7 that Able Friend suffered from a rare tendon injury associated with the aforementioned lameness in the same right front foot. "He went into the Hong Kong Mile with a bruised sole, we kept him in minor work and the problem didn't resolve itself, " his trainer John Moore said, when he announced that his horse was sidelined for the rest of the season. The horse has been sent to a property in Australia on the Mornington Peninsula for rehabilitation.

Assessment

Following his win in the Hong Kong Mile, the ''

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...

'' rated Able Friend the fifth-best racehorse in the world, equal with Treve and behind only

Just A Way Just A Way (Japanese ジャスタウェイ, foaled 8 March 2009) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing useful, but unexceptional form in his early career he emerged as a major talent with a win in the 2013 Autumn edition of the Te ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Shared Belief Shared Belief (February 15, 2011 – December 3, 2015) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was undefeated in three races, including the Hollywood Prevue Stakes and Los Alamitos Futurity, and was named the American Champ ...

and Kingman. In the 2014 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Able Friend was rated the third-best horse to race anywhere in the world in 2014 behind the Japanese horses

and Epiphaneia and level with

, Kingman,

The Grey Gatsby The Grey Gatsby (foaled 14 March 2011) is an Irish-bred racehorse who was trained in Britain and Ireland. In 2014 he established himself as one of the best colts of his generation in Europe by winning the Dante Stakes and the Prix du Jockey Club ...

and

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2009 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Australia Racehorses trained in Hong Kong Thoroughbred family 13-a