Former Socceroo Craig Moore goes for gold with Group 1 hero Buffering

BUFFERING part owner Craig Moore is one of many Australian stars trying to find a horse to emulate their sporting success.

Former Socceroos captain Craig Moore celebrates with Tim Cahill after scoring against Croatia in the 2006 World Cup.

FORMER Socceroo Craig Moore was playing with former Scottish Premier League giants Rangers when he bought his first horse.

Moore became good mates with teammate and striker Billy Dodds, and together they invested in a French jumper named Lampion Du Bost.

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Lampion Du Bost went on to win a feature race at Aintree, paying the juicy odds of 66/1.

Now Moore has struck it lucky again, this time as a part-owner of super sprinter Buffering who shoots for three successive Group 1s in Saturday's Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.

Former Socceroos captain Craig Moore with his Group 1-winning gelding Buffering. Picture: Nathan Richter

Moore just happens to be one part of a long list of sportsmen who have invested in racehorses.

For starters, Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah and teammate Chris Lawrence watched Koroibete get the cash in the last at Rosehill last weekend. Although Farah was over in England for the rugby league World Cup at the time.

St George Illawarra coach Steve Price watched Salon Soldier triumph at Flemington straight after the Melbourne Cup.

Test batsman Steve Smith is racing Bold Leo with Les Bridge, and recently took a share in a half-brother colt to Cauthen, to be trained by Chris Waller.

No Bad Blood's part owner and Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin takes on England in the first Ashes Test at Brisbanee. Picture: Getty Images

Mark Waugh convinced former teammate and Test skipper Ricky Ponting to invest in Forget. He also coaxed Test keeper Brad Haddin and left-arm quick Doug Bollinger to get on board with different horses.

And Carlton recruit Dale Thomas and former Collingwood teammate Dane Swan have started their own syndication company, Blue Moon Syndications. Thomas races Onya Keithy and Beau Dazzle, his uncle owned Adelaide Cup winner Demerger, while his aspiration is to win the his hometown "Druin Cup''.

So what is it with blokes who play elite sport getting involved with thoroughbreds?

For Moore, it was the chance to socialise with teammates once they stopped playing.

AFL stars Dale Thomas and Dane Swan meet trainer Mick Price and Samaready. Photo: Jake Nowakowski

"My first horse in Australia was a horse called Humma, who I was in with Zeljko Kalac and Scott Chipperfield,'' Moore said.

"We thought it was a good way as soccer players, when your career finishes, you lose contact with players you spent so many years with, but this way we could remain in touch and maintain friendships,'' Moore said.

"Humma moved from Sydney to Rob Heathcote in Brisbane, and the change of weather and environment helped and he won some decent races. He won a Toowooba Cup, and he won a Chairman's Handicap, and that allowed us to get involved with Buffering.''

Moore was never a fan of the nags when growing up.

Wests Tigers captain and Koroibete part owner Robbie Farah. Picture: Brett Costello

"I remember Wild World Of Sports on the weekend, and the moment horse racing came on TV, I'd change the channel,'' Moore said.

"But when I was at Rangers I met Billy Dodds and we bought the French jumper Lampion Du Bost. "Then when I was at (English Premier League powerhouse) Newcastle, I got involved with a couple of horses who didn't do anything with Michael Owen, Nicky Butt and Scotty Parker.

"It's just about getting a group of people together and enjoying the journey. If you've got a nice horse, then all the better.''

Moore has a pre-booked family holiday to Port Douglas and been forced to ditch any last-minute trip to Perth to watch 'The Buff'. He's already inquired about the nearest Sky Channel.

His daughter Chloe, 11, learned a few new words when listening to Moore urge Buffering home in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes two starts back.

"I was encouraging 'Browny' (jockey Damian Browne) in the nicest possible way to kick him home,'' Moore said.

Former Socceroos Craig Moore (right) and Zeljko Kalac with Buffering. Picture: Peter Bull

SPORTS STARS AND TURF HEROES

Former Socceroo Craig Moore: Buffering

Wests Tigers duo Robbie Farah and Chris Lawrence: Koroibete

Former Test batsman Mark Waugh and skipper Ricky Ponting: Forget

Test keeper Brad Haddin: No Bad Blood

Test all-rounder Steve Smith: Bold Leo

AFL legend Greg 'Diesel' Williams and former Carlton hero Fraser Brown: Hvasstan

AFL legend Leigh Matthews: Sizzling

League greats Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart and Darryl Brohman: Emmalene

Carlton recruit Dale Thomas: Beau Dazzle, Onya Keithy

NRL Dragons coach Steve Price: Salon Soldier