John Moore has paid tribute to his former stable star Designs On Rome after the 2014 Hong Kong Derby hero and winner of four Group 1s died, aged 15, in Australia last Sunday.
“He was our champion and a standout in a very strong era. It is sad to lose him,” Moore said.
The son of Holy Roman Emperor started life in Ireland and flagged his potential when second for trainer Pat Flynn in the G1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes as a juvenile.
But it was in Hong Kong under Moore’s hand that he flourished and established his place as one of the city’s toughest champions and a truly world class competitor.
Designs On Rome was named Hong Kong Horse of the Year in 2013-14 after a season in which he won a famous Derby showdown with stablemate Able Friend to climax an absorbing Four-Year-Old Classic Series and beat a quality field in the G1 QEII Cup.


That Horse of the Year award was one of seven straight from the Moore yard and even though Designs On Rome’s name will always be linked with Able Friend, the record will show that, when it mattered most, he got the better of his far bigger barn mate.
Designs On Rome would settle back in his races and unwind with long sprints but it would take hard riding from his jockey to get him moving.
Early on that jockey was Tommy Berry, who unlocked the best of the horse and produced a brilliant ride on Designs On Rome to beat Able Friend in the 2014 Hong Kong Classic Cup.
Berry was also aboard for the 2014 Derby and QEII Cup and reunited with Designs On Rome to win the 2016 G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup after Joao Moreira had ridden the horse during the previous season.
“It was times like that that you sort of look back on now and go, ‘Gee, maybe I took them times for granted’ or I didn’t enjoy them as much as I should have, but when you’re in the moment, you don’t, you never think they’re gonna end,” Berry said on the Idol Horse Podcast last year.
“But I look back at horses like him now and I wish I had one of him in my backyard, it would make things a little bit easier! I don’t think we’re gonna see too many horses like Designs On Rome be able to do what he did.”
While Able Friend was known as a gentle giant, Designs On Rome was a more fiery character prone to the occasional bite of a mafoo or passer-by who ventured too close.
“He used to half run towards other horses and pin his ears back to intimidate them,” Berry said on the podcast when talking about the Derby duel with Able Friend.


That cheeky character trait continued at Living Legends, where he was beloved by staff but “he either liked a person or he did not” according to the farm’s CEO Andrew Clarke.
“He was one of those little horses with a big attitude,” Clarke said. “If there was any mischief to be had he wanted to be part of it. He was a special boy and very popular with visitors.”
Designs On Rome showed signs of colic on Sunday and was taken to a nearby vet clinic. It appeared the case was not causing severe pain, but once operated on it was clear that it was worse than expected and Designs On Rome was euthanised ∎