Racing: Moreira's 8-from-8 feat probably a world record

With horse-racing going on in all regions across the world, record- keeping can be a hit-andmiss at times.

It is therefore with some trepidation that one may say that such-and-such has achieved a "world-record", while out there in cyber-world, there is someone ready to shoot you down in flames.

What we can safely say is that Joao Moreira's feat of riding eight winners - from as many rides - at the Singapore Racecourse on last is a performance that will go down in the books of modern racing history.

The Australian-based company Racing And Sports - www.racingandsports.com.au - is recognised as one of the racing world's best websites covering racing and sports globally.

The Racing And Sports horse-racing database began with Australia and New Zealand in 1992, extended to Ireland and the United Kingdom in 2000, Singapore and Hong Kong in 2002, South Africa in 2005, with France coming on board last year although the history of races covered extends further back.

A search of winning jockeys over the years covered conclusively points to Moreira's winning streak from last Friday night's meeting as being the best performance of a jockey searched out of the Racing And Sports database.

What cannot be categorically established, however, are the US and South American records.

Well documented

But a "Google search" found the record of Eddie Castro, who on June 11 2005, the day after winning five races in one day at Calder Racecourse, set a North American record when he won nine races from his 11 mounts on Calder's 13 race card.

It has been well documented that Frankie Dettori rode seven winners at Ascot in 1996.

Working from the records of Racing And Sports, Saimee Jumaat achieved a similar feat at Kranji in August 2009.

A little-known jockey, A Fraser, at the small outback town of Wilpena in South Australia, rode seven winners in 1994, while Richard Hughes also achieved the feat at Windsor in the United Kingdom last October.

There are numerous jockeys that have ridden six winners in a day at one meeting, with Moreira (three times) and Noel Callow having achieved the feat in Singapore.

Apart from Moreira, no jockey from the Racing And Sports database has ridden eight winners at a single programme.

Moreira now sits with 150 Singapore winners for the current season, just three behind his full 2011 tally.

His eight-bagger last Friday rew him level on 148 with the number of winners he was at the same stage last year, when he went on to claim his third title with 206.

But a winning double last Sunday, as against five winners on the corresponding Sunday programme last year, has seen him slip marginally behind.

Moreira was a little surprised to find that he was almost level with last season's figures as he has missed some meetings this year.

"I've had a few suspensions and I've also ridden in America and England which saw me miss a few meetings," he said.

"I know I rode in Sweden and Germany last year, but that was later in the year, so to be as close as I am at this stage is a bit of a surprise.

"Getting to 200 winners and then beating last year's record is not something that I am thinking about.

"To get there would be great but I haven't set any targets for the year because, if you do, you can end up being disappointed.

"I'm happy with how the season is going and I've also ridden winners in America, England, Macau and Malaysia this year, so I've had a bit of travel as well."

Moreira said before joining the Singapore riding ranks in 2009, he had ridden in just five countries - his native Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, France and Dubai.

But he has now added Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong, America, England, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Sweden to that list.

And next week, another country - China - will be added when he joins Danny Beasley and Soo Khoon Beng in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, for a meeting on Sept 21.

In fact, Moreira will be in for a busy week.

Before the Mongolia trip, he departs for Australia on Tuesday to ride at the two-day Newcastle meeting on Sept 18-19, returning to Singapore for the Friday meeting on Sept 20.

He will return in time for the Sunday meeting on Sept 22.

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