It is only a couple of weeks since Joao Moriera returned draped in the Brazilian flag after winning the Gran Premio Latinoamericano, South America’s biggest race.
That moment of glory seems a long way away during the past week in Australia.
The win fulfilled a lifetime ambition for the Magic Man as part of the longest farewell tour seen in a while. Moriera decided to retire because of a hip problem a few years back but has been very successfully riding in Brazil for the past year and has four Group 1 wins since August.
However, when Moriera returned to Australia this spring, where he is an eight-time Group 1 winner, he looked out of place. Despite riding for the biggest stables in the biggest races.
It is the toughest job in racing: flying in to ride in a different country, particularly when you are as well known the Magic Man.
Moriera’s reputation, forged in Singapore and Hong Kong during the 2010s and early 2020s, seemed a distant memory as he only managed a single winner, Bruma Star on Cup Day, in the past couple of weeks.
He earned the punters’ ire a number of times, which is a notoriously short fuse, but the final straw came when he was beaten on odds-on Frosty Girl at the close of Saturday’s racing.
Racecaller Darren Flindell highlighted Moriera’s plight in the straight as he couldn’t get clear, and punters unleashed their frustration on social media.
It came a couple of races after Moriera admitted to being “unlucky” on Militarize. That was the sort of ride that in his prime, Moriera would turn into a winner.
The past couple of meetings were like watching a boxer growing older in the ring. It only takes a couple of rounds for a champion to go to chump when they lose that edge.
There was all sorts of advice for Moriera on social media. I would suggest he doesn’t read it, but the Magic Man has lost his Midas touch in Australia.
The way jockeys are separated is through making a difference, and it could be argued Moriera doesn’t make a positive difference anymore.
However, he still carries the expectation of punters with half of his 18 rides during this Australian stint starting under $10.
It is hard to see Moriera getting another invite back to Australia but he continues his farewell journey around the world when he rides in the Hong Kong International Jockey Series next month.
