Joao Moreira signed off in style at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, the "Magic Man" striking twice in the first three races for David Eustace to carry the second-season trainer past his debut-year tally at the final fixture of the campaign.
Moreira, on loan from his retained duties with newly minted champion trainer Caspar Fownes, guided Fashion Legend to a breakthrough win in the Class 5 opener before Kyrus Treasure made it back-to-back victories in the third. The trainer later added another with Graitifide lifting Eustace’s seaon haul to 38 winners – two clear of last season's 36.
The Brazilian ends his short-term stint with 32 winners.
Fashion Legend had failed to figure in seven previous tries at the city circuit, but barrier two, a drop to Class 5 and a rain-softened surface proved the winning mix.
"He's a horse who likes a bit of soft ground, and he literally hasn't had a wet track since he's been in Hong Kong," Eustace said. "He's been doing his winning on the dirt, so we were happy to see the rain come, and I thought he could run well tonight."
"I thought it was a really good ride. Hopefully, it's not his last because he rides one for me in race three, but he's hard to get off Caspar," Eustace said. "Caspar has been very kind and offered his services a few times for me, so it was nice to get a winner with Joao."
It wasn't his last. Kyrus Treasure made light of a return to Class 4 over 1,800 metres, Moreira leading early from gate six before sliding back, angling out and driving him home a half-length clear of Romantic Laos.
"I think prior to that horse, he'd only ridden in Class Fives for me, so I sort of owed him a couple, or a winner, or a couple of winners," Eustace said. "But obviously, it's nice to team up with someone who has the history in Hong Kong racing that he's got. It's great to be able to get his services, and I'm grateful to Caspar for allowing me to use him too."
Fownes, asked whether Eustace owed him a ‘sling’ after weeks of pestering for Moreira's services, laughed it off.
"Yeah, right. With what?" the champion trainer said. "But it was a lovely ride from Joao, a great result, and I'm very happy for him."
Eustace's answer to the question of repayment to the 2025/26 champion trainer was simpler: "He doesn't need anything."
The treble capped a season that started cold – winless from 23 runners in September, one winner in October – before November's seven-win surge sparked a turnaround that never stopped. Happy Valley did the heavy lifting with 22 winners, and stable earnings climbed from HK$49.2 million in his debut campaign to more than HK$65 million.
