Moore to come from James in Queensland

By Jordan Gerrans

With more numbers and quality in his Caloundra barn these days, emerging trainer James Moore feels he is starting to build momentum in Queensland.

Moore is the son of champion international mentor Gary and grandson of legendary jockey George.

He has been a much more regular name in Sunshine State form guides this season after launching his local operation over the last couple of years.

He has already had more runners – 53 in total – in the yet-to-be-completed 2024-25 campaign compared to the entire season prior.

The Moore team are starting to reap the rewards as well, collecting three winners since late December of last year.

After starting out with just three or four horses on the Sunshine Coast, the 34-year-old will have more than 20 in his yard when the calendar ticks over to February of 2025.

“We definitely have a bit more momentum but it is about consistency, that is the main thing,” Moore said.

“There is a lot more consistency now with the runners.

“We didn’t have the numbers in the early days and we have more consistency now.

“We have a really good team that we have put together and I couldn’t be happier at the minute.

“Loving being around the horses and preparing them – that’s what keeps you going as you keep building.”

With three victories over the last couple of months, Moore is hopeful that number can increase again over the next few days.

He will present last-start winner Dibba Dobba on his home deck this Sunday in a Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000 metres as well as taking gallopers to Dalby, Ipswich and Warwick in the next week.

Dibba Dobba broke through at Gatton earlier this month and the enthusiastic conditioner believes the four-year-old mare is his best winning hope over the coming days.

Hoop Ryan Curatolo – a long-term friend of Moore’s - did the steering on that occasion at Gatton and has been handed the booking again on Sunday.

“She has improved out of sight since she put her head past the post first,” the young trainer said.

“She has gained a lot of confidence from that win and Ryan’s style of riding very much suits the horse. Ryan has ridden for my dad for a season and then he rode for me for a couple of seasons over there.

“I prepared horses in Japan and he has obviously ridden in Japan, as well.

“He is a very good friend of mine; he is a hard worker and very professional as he has worked with some of the best trainers and jockeys in the world.”

As a rider aiming to establish himself in South East Queensland, Curatolo said it was a special moment to land a victory for Moore after he previously rode for him and his father in Asia.

“I have known James for nearly 10 years,” the hoop said.

“So, to get a winner for him, that brought back some good memories and was good to team up with him.

“It was special to win together.”

As Moore’s numbers in his stable continue to build and the winners flow, he is eager to be more active at yearling and weanling sales to build out his team.

He is still heavily connected to Asian racing through his previous stints in the region and has a number of owners from the area with his current crop of gallopers.

When he started out with a small team, he was required to be more hands-on with his horses but now with a larger staff, he can also focus on finding their next stable stars.

“I have a little bit better stock and I have got better younger horses coming through now, that we have not raced yet,” he said.

“There are a few three-year-olds that are unraced.

“With this number of around 20 in work, you can actually look to employ people and build out your stable by going to the yearling sales in Australia and overseas, looking for horses while you increase the quality of your horses.

“Hopefully we can spend a little bit more on horses, that extra $20,000 - $30,000, so you can find those precocious horses that you need here in Queensland.”