Joao Moreira in full celebration with Native Extreme - Photo Leonardo Mainé - El País Uruguay
Brazil’s legendary jockey João Moreira continued his remarkable run of success across South America when he produced a perfectly timed ride to land the Gr1 Gran Premio José Pedro Ramírez aboard Native Extreme (BRZ) on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, at the Maroñas Racecourse in Uruguay.
The victory came in front of an enthusiastic crowd and added another elite triumph to Moreira’s recent haul, following his wins in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano in his native Brazil last October and the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini in Argentina just four weeks earlier.
Moreira clearly relished this latest Gr1 success, enjoying every moment of the achievement on the Bruno Firmino trained four-year-old, as he further cemented his extraordinary dominance on the South American stage.
While Gr1 success is nothing out of the ordinary for João Moreira, this marked a first triumph at the top level for Native Extreme (BRZ), a son of Emcee out of Extreme Justice, who runs in the colours of Stud Los Mareados.
Racing in third behind the early leader and favorite Obstacle (BRZ), who was a little keen in the opening stages, Native Extreme appeared briefly under pressure as they negotiated the final bend. However, under Moreira’s expert guidance, he soon found another gear upon entering the straight. As Obstacle began to weaken, allowing Pluto to strike the front, Native Extreme was only just hitting his stride. Clearly thriving over the 2400 metres, he stayed on powerfully to outlast his rivals, scoring a decisive victory in 2:29:11, beating Pluto by a neck into second place, while Obstacle finished 4 ¼ lengths further back in third.
“I’m in a very good phase of my professional life right now,” said a smiling Moreira. “But this would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the opportunities I have been given by some people. They all know who they are. I would like to express my gratitude to all the owners, breeders and especially the trainers, as they are the ones I deal with directly. They gave me these wonderful horses to win such important races like the Ramirez. So, I want to thank everyone.”
As to Native Extreme’s performance in the Uruguay’s premier event, he added: “He is a strong horse, physically and mentally. He definitely tested my abilities to relax him but fortunately I managed it. My hands were hurting from holding onto the reins, but I stayed focused and once he relaxed, I knew he would be competitive. Also, the horses in the lead were not going so well, which gave me even more confidence. The pace changed after 1000m and he kind of got disconnected from the horses in front, but he then got back into the rhythm and went after the horses in front of him. It wasn’t an easy race for him, because the second horse (Pluto) tested him to the limit as he fought valiantly, but my horse is very good and very courageous. He gave everything in that battle to the line, and I was simply blessed to be on his back today.”
Moreira returned to the winners’ enclosure visibly emotional, greeted by the many connections of Native Extreme. For Arturo Cardozo of Stud Los Mareados, the moment was just as overwhelming when he added: “This is a dream come true, for our whole family, my father, my sons, our friends and supporters of this horse. Stud Los Mareados has been going since 1969 or even longer. It was created along with Gabriel Denis, Armando Solari and of course Fernando Benitez who is here with us today. I cannot explain to you the importance and what it means to a lover of racehorses to win the Ramirez. It’s marvelous, unique and it’s the fruit of countless efforts and strategies.”
Unedited Press Release from OSAF
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