Christmas jumpers? Sussex trainer Moore has a yard full of them

Fresh from saddling his 1000th National Hunt winner, Gary Moore is readying a strong team of horses to go to war with over the Christmas period which includes the yard’s stable star Goshen.
Gary Moore is hopeful of some festive fillips over the jumps / Picture: GettyGary Moore is hopeful of some festive fillips over the jumps / Picture: Getty
Gary Moore is hopeful of some festive fillips over the jumps / Picture: Getty

The Kingwell Hurdle hero returned to action at Ascot last month over an extended two miles and three furlongs. He shaped with promise, beaten 11 lengths by Buzz, finishing fourth and Moore was pleased with the comeback given that effort came on good ground.

The son of Authorized could now run in either the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot just before Christmas on December 18 or he could wait for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.

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Plans clearly depend on the ground and discussing his stable star, Lower Beeding-based trainer Moore said in an interview with bettingexpert “I was very pleased with Goshen’s run. You won’t see the best of that horse until you get slower ground.

“Everybody keeps telling me about stepping him up to three miles, but he’s not a boat. He’s come out of the Ascot race tremendously well which suggests that he kept a bit to himself.

“He won round Wincanton on a fast track and you wait until he gets his ground and you will see a different horse.

“He would need a monsoon to get his ground at Kempton. He is in the Ascot Betfair Exchange Trophy, if that is viable. He might go there, or otherwise he will go for the Christmas Hurdle, providing the ground is soft. We just need to wait until he gets his ground.”

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Among his litany of stars, Moore has the exciting Nassalam who remained unbeaten at Newbury last weekend when winning a dramatic Grade Two event at Newbury in which only two of the four runners finished the contest.

Looking booked for the placings turning for home, Nassalam’s principal rivals Pic D’Orhy and Millers Bank both fell in the home straight, which allowed Nassalam to register a comfortable 30 length win. He will now either run at Plumpton and Cheltenham next according to Moore who said: “His greatest asset is his jumping. He didn’t have a race at Newbury and has come out of it well. I wouldn’t be in a rush to go two and a half-miles with him again – the Dipper at Cheltenham or Plumpton are both possibilities.”

Moore could also run the exciting Porticello at Doncaster in the Grade Two Summit Hurdle next. Towards the top of the betting for the Triumph Hurdle for next year’s Cheltenham Festival, the three-year-old made a winning British debut in likeable style in Listed company at Wetherby in October and he looks one of a number of exciting prospects for Moore and his team to look forward to throughout the winter...

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