James Moore laying foundations for bright career

By GIenn Davis

It’s one step at a time for emerging trainer James Moore who continues to build on his dream to be a successful trainer on the Sunshine Coast.

Moore is the son of champion international jockey and trainer Gary Moore and is the grandson of Australia’s legendary jockey George Moore.

He moved to Queensland from Macau a few years ago to begin a new chapter in his life at Caloundra and has gradually built his stable numbers to 20 after starting off with a small team.

“I was 23 when I got my trainer’s licence in Macau and I spent five years there,” Moore said.

“It feels like a lifetime ago. I then moved to Japan and trained there for two years where I was the private trainer for New World Racing.”

Moore then came to Australia and based himself at Caloundra.

"The late Mick Mair’s stables became available at Caloundra,” Moore said.

“I just took the boxes and started with nothing before I got my first horse here, New World Tapestry, to train.

“He never set the world alight before he went south as he was a tricky horse to train.”

Moore landed a memorable winner at the Sunshine Coast when Silly Salmon claimed a Benchmark race in October of 2023.

“He started at $61 and we backed him,” Moore said.

Moore has a current strike-rate for the season of only 6.3% with eight wins from 127 starters.

However, the up-and-coming trainer hopes those statistics will improve when he heads to Kilcoy on Tuesday and is confident Best Coffee can complete a hat-trick of wins in the Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1500 metres.

The three-year-old went winless in his first 10 starts before breaking through for his maiden win at Kilcoy in April and franked the form by winning again at Gatton later in the month. 

Former South African jockey Brandon Lerena has been retained after winning both times on Best Coffee.

“You have to make him travel and Brandon has found the key to him and knows how to get him up on the bit travelling,” Moore said.

“Best Coffee should go close as he won quite well at Kilcoy the last time he was there.

“Brandon is the flavour of the month up here so we’re trying to keep him on as Chris Waller and Lee Freedman have been using him a lot."