from RACING POST HKwww.racing.scmp.comJohn Moore's stocks for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup next month rose and fell simultaneously at Sha Tin yesterday as Irian at last lived up to his early hype with a dashing Jockey Club Cup win, while hot favourite Collection was beaten out of a place and emerged with more bleeding issues. One of the most expensive imports bought for Hong Kong, the German-bred Irian had been a colt with a potential stud future last season but big spending owner Siu Pak-kw

from RACING POST HK

www.racing.scmp.com

John Moore's stocks for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup next month rose and fell simultaneously at Sha Tin yesterday as Irian at last lived up to his early hype with a dashing Jockey Club Cup win, while hot favourite Collection was beaten out of a place and emerged with more bleeding issues. One of the most expensive imports bought for Hong Kong, the German-bred Irian had been a colt with a potential stud future last season but big spending owner Siu Pak-kwan rolled the dice and had him gelded in the summer to make a racehorse of him and the win has backed that decision.

Brett Prebble landed his first win for Moore in almost five years on Irian after chasing the ride and Moore has asked him to stay on board for the Hong Kong Cup.

"Early in the season, John said he might have multiple runners in some of the Group races and there would be one or two for me that Darren couldn't ride and that's why I rang for Irian," Prebble said. "I figured Darren Beadman would be on Collection and because I've won races for the owner Mr Siu [Pak-kwan] on Algarve, that he would be fine with me riding this one."

It was a telling move, with Prebble swooping from a three-wide position to send Irian clear at the 200m and the gelding gave his rivals a lesson.

"I was wide but I had cover behind Super Satin all the way and that's usually how the 2,000m races are run and won at Sha Tin, coming around them like that," Prebble said. "If anything, I got there too early because I was worried Super Satin might keep going and I wanted to get out from behind him and make my move and when I pressed, he really dashed. He's definitely coming and today will do him good. I think he's got more improvement there because he idled when he hit the front - it was an unusual situation for him out there on his own and he didn't have the confidence to go right on with it alone but I could feel there was more there."

Moore was unflustered by Collection's defeat as the 1.5 favourite battled into fifth before club vets scoped him at Moore's request and found "significant" blood in his trachea: "Obviously, we need to manage his lungs between now and the Hong Kong Cup but, considering the interference at the 200m, the five pounds he had to give away and the vet report, he's gone as well as we thought he probably would and he has improvement in him."

Moore said Irian's unlucky run in the Ladies' Purse last time had put the writing on the wall for a good showing in this tougher event.

"He got held up there and I thought he was unlucky and, as I said in the press, his work had been outstanding this week," he said. "His owner said he'd put a lot of money into racing trying to, as he said, `get on the grass' for a Group race trophy presentation, so it's great to win one for him and Irian must be a serious runner in the international now.