Military Attack
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Military Attack (Chinese: 軍事出擊, originally named Rave) (foaled 4 March 2008) is an Irish-bred, Hong Kong trained
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
. Unraced as a two-year-old, he showed promising form in Britain in 2011 before being sold to race in Hong Kong. He continued to show useful but unexceptional form before emerging as a dominant middle-distance performer in the early part of 2013, winning the January Cup,
Hong Kong Gold Cup The Hong Kong Gold Cup is a Group One Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1979 at Sha Tin Racecourse. It is open to horses three years of age and older. Run on turf, it was initially run over a distance of 1,800 metres, but ...
, Premier Plate,
Queen Elizabeth II Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April over a distance of 2,000 metres (te ...
and Singapore Airlines International Cup. In July 2013 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Champion Awards, he won three awards including the title of Hong Kong Horse of the Year.


Background

Military Attack is a bay gelding with a white
coronet In British heraldry, a coronet is a type of crown that is a mark of rank of non-reigning members of the royal family and peers. In other languages, this distinction is not made, and usually the same word for ''crown'' is used irrespective of ra ...
on his left hind foot, bred in Ireland by P E Banahan at the Moortown Stud in
County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
. He was from the second crop of foals sired by
Oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
, an Irish racehorse best known for his wins in the
Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
and the
Irish Champion Stakes The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2 ...
in 2005. His dam Almaaseh was a daughter of the
Irish 1000 Guineas The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is schedule ...
winner Al Bahathri, making her a half-sister of the
2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km) and scheduled to take place each yea ...
winner
Haafhd Haafhd (foaled 18 February 2001) is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and active Sire (horse), stallion, best known for winning the 2000 Guineas Stakes and Champion Stakes in 2004. Background Haafhd, a bright chestnut horse standing 15 2 ...
. As a
yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the ...
the colt was consigned by the Moortown Stud to the Goff's sale where he was bought for €40,000 by a partnership involving the trainer John Hills. The colt was named Rave and was trained by Hills at
Lambourn Lambourn is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It lies just north of the M4 Motorway between Swindon and Newbury, and borders Wiltshire to the west and Oxfordshire to the north. After Newmarket it is the largest centre of r ...
in
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
.


Racing career


2011: three-year-old season

Rave was beaten in his first two races in the spring of 2011 before recording his first success in a one-mile
maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...
at
Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...
on 28 May. After finishing second at Ayr Racecourse, Rave won two one mile handicap races at
Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Grade ...
in July. After his final British race Rave was sold privately and was exported to race in Hong Kong where he was trained by John Moore. He was gelded and renamed Military Attack. Military Attack usually races in a red hood and a black
shadow roll A shadow roll is a piece of equipment, usually made of sheepskin or a synthetic material, that is attached to the noseband of a horse's bridle. Like blinkers, it partially restricts the horse's vision, and helps them to concentrate on what is in f ...
.


2011/2102: four-year-old season

Military Track did not run until February 2012 when he won his Hong Kong debut. He then finished sixth, beaten less than two lengths, behind Fay Fay in the
Hong Kong Derby The Hong Kong Derby is a Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1873. Restricted to horses four-years-old only since 1981, the race is run in mid-March and is the premier event on the domestic racing programme with a purse of HK$18 m ...
at
Sha Tin Racecourse Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin District, Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club. Penfold Park is encircled by the track, and the Ho ...
. Three month later he started favourite for a handicap at
Happy Valley Racecourse The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing and is a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, surrounded by Wong Nai Chung Road and Morrison Hill Road. The capacit ...
but was beaten in a three-way photo finish by Happy Guys and Pure Champion.


2012/2013: five-year-old season

In the early part of the 2012/2013 season, Military Attack showed promise when finishing fourth to Ambitious Dragon over one mile and fifth to California Memory in the
Hong Kong Cup The Hong Kong Cup is a Conditions races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres (about miles or 10 furlongs) at Sha Tin Ra ...
. In early 2013 he recorded his first
Group race Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomp ...
win in the January Cup and was moved up in class and distance in February for the Group One
Hong Kong Gold Cup The Hong Kong Gold Cup is a Group One Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1979 at Sha Tin Racecourse. It is open to horses three years of age and older. Run on turf, it was initially run over a distance of 1,800 metres, but ...
over ten furlongs. Ridden by
Zac Purton Zac Purton (born 3 January 1983) is an Australian jockey who has won the most races in Hong Kong racing history and won the Hong Kong Jockeys' Championship on seven occasions. Purton is married to Nicole Purton, the daughter of Hall of Fame ...
he won by two and a half lengths and a neck from Pure Champion and Xtension with the favourite California Memory unplaced. Military Attack's finishing speed was decisive, as he covered the last two furlong in 21.85 seconds. After winning the Group Three Premier Plate he was moved back up to Group One class for the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup. With Purton riding Ambitious Dragon, Military Attack was partnered by the 22-year-old Australian Tommy Berry who had never ridden in Hong Kong before and started at odds of 10.5/1. The race attracted an international field, including Eishin Flash (winner of the
Japanese Derby Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
and
Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade 1 races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gr ...
) from Japan, Sajjhaa (winner of the Dubai Duty Free Stakes) from Dubai and two runners from South Africa. Military Attack took the lead approaching the final furlong and drew away in the closing stages and won by one and three-quarter lengths from California Memory. On 19 May Military Attack was sent to
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
to contest the Singapore Airlines International Cup over 10 furlongs at the left-handed
Kranji Racecourse The Singapore Racecourse/ Singapore Turf Club is a venue for thoroughbred horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over ...
. He started at odds of 2.4/1 against a field which included runners from Singapore Dubai, the United Kingdom and Germany. Zac Purton settled the Hong Kong challenger before making ground on the inside and taking the lead one and half furlongs from the finish. Military Attack went clear of the field and won easing down by three and a quarter lengths from his stable companion Dan Excel, the winner of the
Champions Mile The Champions Mile is a Group One, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Hong Kong for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) on the turf at Sha Tin Racecourse with the to ...
.


2013/2014: six-year-old season

Military Attack began his six-year-old season in the Sha Tin Trophy, a one-mile handicap race on 27 October. Carrying top weight of 133 pounds in a field which included California Memory, Xtension, Akeed Mofeed and Pure Champion and finished sixth, beaten just over three lengths by the favourite Gold-Fun. Three weeks later he started 7/5 favourite for the
Jockey Club Cup A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
, a major trial race for the
Hong Kong Cup The Hong Kong Cup is a Conditions races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres (about miles or 10 furlongs) at Sha Tin Ra ...
. He finished third to Endowing and Akeed Mofeed, both of whom were carrying five pounds less than the favourite. In the Hong Kong Cup on 8 December he started the 9/4 favourite, but despite finishing strongly he finished fourth of the twelve runners behind Akeed Mofeed, Tokei Halo and
Cirrus des Aigles Cirrus des Aigles (foaled 8 May 2006) is a retired French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2008 until December 2015 he raced in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After racing ...
. In January, Military Attack finished fourth behind Blazing Speed, Dan Excel and Helene Spirit in the
Hong Kong Stewards' Cup The Stewards' Cup is a Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the latter part of January at Sha Tin Racecourse. A Group One race that offers a purse of HK$12,000,000, it is run on turf over a distance of 1600 meters and is open to ...
. On 23 February the gelding faced Akeed Mofeed, Blazing Speed and Dan Excel in the Hong Kong Gold Cup in which he was ridden for the first time by João Moreira. Starting second favourite behind Akeed Mofeed, he took the lead inside the final furlong and accelerated clear to win by three lengths from Dan Excel. Military Attack was then sent to the United Arab Emirates to represent Hong Kong in the 2014 Dubai World Cup. He was made the 3/1 favourite but was never in contention and finished tenth of the sixteen runners behind African Story. He returned to Hong Kong in April and attempted to repeat his 2013 success in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. He took the lead inside the final furlong but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten a neck by his four-year-old stable companion
Designs On Rome Designs On Rome (foaled 17 March 2010) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He was best known for his performances in Hong Kong where he was named Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year in 2014. Background Designs On Rome was a ba ...
. In the following month he started 4/5 favourite for the 2014 edition of the Singapore Airlines International Cup but finished third behind Dan Excel and the French-trained Smoking Sun.


2014/2015: seven-year-old season

Before the start of the 2014/2015 Hong Kong season, Military Attack was transferred to the table of Caspar Fownes. On his first appearance for his new trainer, Military Attack contested the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy over one mile on 26 October. Starting a 13.5/1 outsider he won by a short head from Gold-Fun with Ambitious Dragon three quarters of a length away in third. The unplaced horses included Blazing Speed, Designs On Rome and California Memory.


Assessment and honours

On 7 July 2013, Military Attack was named Hong Kong Horse of the Year and Hong Kong Champion Middle-distance Horse at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Champion Awards. He also won the title of Hong Kong Most Popular Horse of the Year, winning a public poll with 53,986 votes from California Memory (21,686) and Ambitious Dragon (20,865). On 14 July 2013, Military was rated the seventh-best racehorse in the world in the World Thoroughbred Rankings and the best in the world over ten furlongs on turf.


Pedigree


References

{{reflist 2008 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Hong Kong Thoroughbred family 9-e