Caulfield and Melbourne Cups an option for Eagle Way

Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way could have earned a trip back to Australia with his victory in the Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap at Sha Tin.

Eagle Way beat his John Moore-trained stablemate Helene Charisma on Sunday with their trainer saying both were ideal types for the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.

“They are the types of horses that could be Melbourne-bound because they’re dead-set mile-and-half to two-mile horses,” Moore said.

“I don’t want to jump the start but they’re ideal for Melbourne. The Hong Kong off-season doesn’t make it easy with lead-ups, but they are the sorts of horses you’d want down there.”

Eagle Way won the 2016 Queensland Derby when trained by Bryan Guy.

He was ridden on Sunday by Joao Moreira who also took out the Group One feature, the QEII Cup, on Japanese horse Neorealism.

With Australian entrant The United States taking up the lead at a slow pace, Moreira made a mid-race move to the front on Neorealism who held off Pakistan Star and last year’s winner Werther ridden by Hugh Bowman.

“It’s so special to win such a race, and a race that I haven’t won before. The first is always very special,” Moreira.

Bowman said the slow tempo played against Werther.

“He acquitted himself well,” he said.

“It was very slow in the middle stages and that didn’t suit him. I thought the sprint home would suit but the Japanese horse just got a break on us.”

The United States, last year’s Ranvet Stakes winner, will now be retired to stud.

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