Horse Racing: Moore is Quality and Hiatt is a Genius

It was great to see Ryan Moore back in action on Thursday evening at Sandown, even though he trailed in well behind on his only mount of the night. The champion jockey spent little time in returning to the winning groove when punching home Elna Bright in the opener at Brighton on Friday.

Moore was impressive as he tested his recently mended right arm in the closing stages on Richard Hannon's two-year-old. Less than 10 minutes later his father Gary was on hand at Goodwood to see Logsdail, one of the horses he trains next to Brighton racecourse, win his second handicap in a row at the gorgeous Sussex course.

There will be plenty more wins for the Moore family in the coming weeks. Ryan's brother Jamie was at Towcester on Friday evening to ride a hurdle-race double for his father, who has declared himself largely disappointed with the overall performance of his jumpers in the season that finished in April.

He had 45 winners from 410 runners over the year, significantly down on the 63 from 452 of 2005-06, but the way the stable has started the new season suggests that Moore's determination to have more success in the jumping sphere is going to bear fruit.

That Towcester double brought his tally to 10 from just 42 runners and a profit of more than £13 to a £1 stake. Seven of those winners have come from 11 runners at another local course to Moore, Fontwell Park. You would have made a profit by backing his runners blind at this quaint track in three of the past five seasons, and anything sent there from Brighton is worth a second glance.

Given Moore's training record over both Flat and jumps, it is a great pity that none of the country's bigger owners has entrusted him with either Group-class candidates for the Flat or top-grade hurdlers or chasers.

His flagbearers, in prize money terms, have been seasoned old handicappers such as Waterside, Cold Turkey and Mostarsil on the level, and Heathcote and Verasi over jumps. Owners such as Nigel Shields and Matthew Green have continued to support him but he deserves the chance to deal with more quality in his yard. His efforts with Cusoon give a clear indication of what he is capable of. Cusoon won a Listed race on the all-weather at Lingfield on his 28th start for Moore. Bought for just £10,000, Cusoon broke the Lingfield course record and was voted All-Weather Horse of the Year.

At bargain basement level, Mostarsil cost Moore just £4,000 and has won 12 races and more than £65,000 in prizemoney.

If Gary Moore is fully entitled to be known as a brilliant trainer then another, even more unsung, hero is Peter Hiatt, who handles a small dual-purpose team near Banbury. He is, to my mind, a genius. 'Peter Who?' will be the question from a few quarters and it is fair to say that Hiatt's star hardly shines brightly in the ranks of British trainers. No matter, this guy could train ivy to grow under the Arctic ice.

A claimer for maidens - horses that have never won - run at Kempton in April last year was the source for Hiatt of two of his winners this year, Rebellious Spirit and They All Laughed. For the uninitiated, in a claimer, any horse can be bought at a price fixed beforehand by his owner and trainer. From that potential purchase price, the weights for the race are determined.

After Rebellious Spirit had finished seventh of the 13 runners, Hiatt had seen enough to claim him for the £3,000 at which he was offered. Rebellious Spirit had shown ability before, having finished second three times, but it was Hiatt who worked out how to win with him and he has now won twice, improving significantly in the process.

They All Laughed, who finished last, miles behind the penultimate horse, in the Kempton race, is an even more impressive example of Hiatt's talents. A 65,000gns purchase as a yearling, They All Laughed seem thoroughly out of love with racing and at £5,000 looked expensive. Yet on his third run for Hiatt he won and this season he has been flying, his recent form figures reading 2131222.

Augustine, bought for 6,200gns, has been placed 26 times in 47 outings, Isa'af cost two grand and has won 10 times, while seven-time winner Mulberry Lad cost just 1,200gns. Another success story, Realism, was bought for 2,500gns and sold for 38,000 after several wins, and Hiatt also does well with those that breeders send to him. His lovely mare Tight Squeeze, owned by breeder Anthony Harrison, won 14 times.

Hiatt's latest success story, Alqaayid, was bought for 450,000gns as a yearling with a pedigree to die for, being by Machiavellian out of a mare by the superb Guineas and Derby winner Nashwan. Yet he was a flop for his original owners and, at first for Hiatt and his owner Stuart Holder, he continued to disappoint after being bought for a knockdown 4,000gns from his Arab owners.

Holder likes to run his horses in France, as he insists the prize money structure is more in favor of the owner than in this country. But as a believer in value for money, he leaves Alqaayid with Hiatt. Until recently, Alqaayid had not won in 28 starts for Holder but he had gone close at Le Touquet, Ostend, Lingfield and Le Croise Laroche.

Finally, at the 29th time of asking, Alqaayid put his head in front where it matters. It was only a lowly handicap at Brighton worth a couple of grand to the winner. However, it proved what some of us knew all along: Hiatt can win with anything.

Watch out for a recent 3,000gns purchase, Ceredig, a non-winner in 18 starts for his previous connections and already beaten eight times for Hiatt. If anyone can coax a win out of him, his present trainer can.

So, if there are any of you out there with a spare 100 grand, or 50, or even two-and-a-half, ask Moore or Hiatt to buy you a horse and you will have some fun and, most likely, a winner.