He had his doubters, plenty of them, but when push came to shove Designs On Rome rewarded the faithful with a combative second victory in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse this afternoon, Sunday 28 February

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  Designs On Rome lands the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (Group 1, 2000m) at Sha Tin Racecourse today for trainer John Moore and jockey Tommy Berry.

“I’m thrilled. He’s repeated and he’s done it in fine style,” said trainer John Moore, for whom this was an 11th Gold Cup success.

“He’s so talented, he’s got to be number one,” asserted Moore. “Of my other Gold Cup winners, Viva Pataca was good, but the way this horse does it, coming from last, right around the field and winning – he’s just an equine champion. He’s very exciting to watch and for that reason I’ll put him on top.”

Designs On Rome was three lengths adrift of an otherwise two-by-two field of 11 as stablemate Dan Excel led off the turn into the backstretch. With 800m to race the six-year-old began his trademark advance.

Tommy Berry, the first man to execute the long run for home aboard the brilliant and belligerent champion back in 2014, was in the plate for the first time since May of that year. Designs On Rome responded to Berry’s aggressive drive with apparent relish, skirting the field and driving to the fore with 150m to race, boxing past old foe Military Attack and punching on to the wire for a half-length call over stablemate Helene Happy Star, the mount of Joao Moreira. 

“I always like to get going a little early on him because he stays further than 2000 metres without quite getting a strong 2400,” said Berry, “and I didn’t want to be too far behind Neil Callan on Blazing Speed (race favourite) because if he was able to get away from me I thought we’d be in trouble.”

Berry, who replaced Moreira atop the winner, took his record to five wins from eight starts on Designs On Rome.

“He feels the same as when I rode him in the past,” said the Australian hoop. “He doesn’t give any sort of feel from the gates, but as soon as I give him a click up at the half-mile he gets going and finds three or four lengths.” 

The win was the former Horse of the Year’s first since last year’s edition of this 2000m showcase. The Holy Roman Emperor gelding underwent minor arthroscopic surgery to both forelegs last May and a 1000m barrier trial last week, in which the six-year-old broke slowly and never looked like getting close to the principals, did little to restore the confidence of many watchers.

Anthony W K Chow (right), Deputy Chairman of the Club, presents the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup trophy to Cheng Keung Fai, owner of the winning horse Designs On Rome

“Every trainer has their concerns after surgery – I’ve had arthroscopic surgery and I can’t bowl a cricket ball anymore! It’s hard, to think that he may not come back the same horse, but the operation went great, his joints are still tight, we never lost a day with him; it took time to get him back in the coat.

“Everyone said his trial wasn’t good enough but I knew exactly where he was, what he’d done, and it was enough to just top him off and he’s returned today the horse he’s been over the past few seasons. He’s the best.

“He’s not travelling anywhere,” Moore added. “He’ll go into the AP QEII Cup at the end of April – then we’ll just look after him.”