Racing trainer James Moore launches new Sunshine Coast stable

Once-tarnished racing trainer James Moore says he’s hoping to revive his career after launching his new Queensland stable on the Sunshine Coast.

Racing trainer James Moore has launched his new Queensland stable on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Rising racing trainer James Moore is hoping to revive his career after launching his new Queensland stable on the Sunshine Coast.

The 32-year-old, who is the son of eight-time Macau champion trainer Gary Moore, first took over the stable in 2014 when Gary made the move to Rosehill.

James Moore became Macau’s youngest licensed trainer at 25-years-old and won 70 races in just over three seasons before being disqualified in 2018 for charges of presenting two horses with a prohibited substance.

Macau Jockey Club Stewards found excessive cobalt levels in two of his stable runners, Dengcheng One (Publishing) and Fireman Freddy (Scandal Keeper) who both went unplaced on March 16, 2018.

Moore was away in Australia at the time with his assistant trainer James McCabe taking the reins during that period, a steward’s report states.

Despite his absence, the steward’s report states Moore pleaded guilty to four separate charges regarding both horses and was issued with two 20-month bans to be served concurrently which was reduced to 13 months after appeal.

McCabe was disqualified for a period of 18 months and had his appeal rejected by the appeal panel.

James Moore was the winner of the 2016 Macau Guineas (Listed, 1500m) with Kelowna Star. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Moore said he hoped the matter could be put to bed.

“I was rather young and naive at the time and always had the best faith in other people but my assistant trainer, with another staff member, administered two syringes to the horses which gave me those two positives,” he said.

“When I got the call from the stewards I wasn’t even in the country but under the rules of racing the trainer is always responsible.

“I’m happy now, I could’ve been rotting away over there and wouldn’t be the trainer that I am today.”

Moore initially moved to Queensland to work under Gold Coast trainer Gillian Heinrich but said he jumped at the opportunity to train on the Sunshine Coast.

“Getting boxes is like winning a Group 1 in itself but racing’s a rollercoaster so you’ve got to keep a lid on it,” he said.

“The main criteria for me training here is being close to the beach, it’s nice to switch them off and give them a bit more one-on-one time.”

Moore said he had seven horses currently with five more on the way.

He said his runner Olympic Kroshni was one to keep an eye out for when racing over 2000m.

PAST THE POST

The Sunshine Coast Turf Club is set to host a re-imagined featured event of the Queensland Winter Carnival on Saturday May 6.

Traditionally run at Aquis Park as the Hollindale Stakes Day, the new Coast to Coast race day at Corbould Park will host a nine-race card including black-type features and time-honoured group races while the $63 million redevelopment of the Gold Coast Turf Club is completed.

The Coast to Coast race day is headlined by the $500,000 Group 2 TAB Hollindale Stakes, along with the two $200,000 Group 3’s in the Gold Coast Guineas and Ken Russell Memorial Classic.

Adding to the allure of the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes is the $200,000 bonus on offer should a horse win the feature race and back it up with a win in the Doomben Cup or the Q22 Races held later in the Winter Carnival.

Sunshine Coast Turf Club CEO John Miller said the organisation was ecstatic to be hosting the event in conjunction with the Gold Coast Turf Club.

“Hosting a race day of this calibre is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come along and see high quality racing in our own backyard, adding to our existing feature race days throughout the year,” he said.

“It speaks volumes for all the hard work we’ve done here at the Turf Club, and hosting Saturday metropolitan racing is a wonderful advertisement not only for the local racing fraternity but for the whole area.”