Tag Archive for: Gary Moore

Moore could favour Sandown Celebration for Editeur Du Gite

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Gary Moore believes he has no option but to campaign Editeur Du Gite as a top two-mile chaser following his shock victory in the Desert Orchid Chase – although he has suggested he could skip the Queen Mother Champion Chase in favour of Sandown’s Celebration Chase.

The eight-year-old has now won five times over fences, but the only other time he has landed a telling blow in graded company was in Aintree’s Red Rum Handicap Chase in the spring of 2021, and he was producing a career best when causing a 28-1 upset in Tuesday’s Kempton Grade Two.

Editeur Du Gite delighted his trainer with a fine round of jumping and galloping from the front in the hands of Niall Houlihan – winning right-handed for the first time in the process and scoring on ground described as worse than good to soft for the first time since his days racing in France as a four-year-old.

“I was highly delighted, any win is great, but a decent one like that for everybody is really special,” said Moore.

However, Editeur Du Gite’s Kempton heroics leave Moore short of options outside of the big two-mile contests.

His next outing will be in the Game Spirit at Newbury before a decision is made on his Cheltenham Festival participation, with the Sussex-based handler far from convinced he is a genuine Champion Chase contender.

Moore could be tempted to keep his charge fresh for Sandown on the final day of the season instead, depending on conditions at Prestbury Park.

Asked whether Editeur Du Gite could be classed as a Champion Chase contender, Moore said: “Personally, unless all of a sudden he has improved a lot, I don’t really think so. On Tuesday’s performance yes, but on his past performances no.

Ladbrokes Christmas Festival – Day Two – Kempton Racecourse
Jockey Niall Houlihan celebrates winning the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase with horse Editeur Du Gite during day two of the Ladbrokes Christmas Festival at Kempton (Nigel French/PA)

“But he defied a lot of things on Tuesday. I don’t think he’d ever won right-handed before and I don’t think he’d won in ground that soft for a long time and he’s gone out there and won as easy as he’s ever won – it just defied a lot of logic really.

“There’s nowhere else to go, so he’ll go now for the Game Spirit, which is going back left-handed. Then it will either be Cheltenham for the Champion Chase, which could could be a waste of time if Energumene turns up, or otherwise it would be saving him for the Celebration Chase at Sandown – let them all run their races in the Champion Chase then we can go to Sandown.

“I could do that (wait for Sandown) and it will be my say, but everyone loves running at Cheltenham. For me though, a lot will depend on what the ground is like there (Cheltenham).”

Gary Moore eyeing Lingfield date for Goshen

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Gary Moore is tempted to try running Goshen left-handed again, with Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival on the radar following the popular six-year-old’s brave second in the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle at Kempton.

The seven-time hurdles winner was trying three miles for the first time when lining up at the Sunbury track on Boxing Day and showed the distance was well within range as he was part of a fantastic battle up the home straight with veterans of the staying hurdling division, Paisley Park and Champ.

That now opens up more doors for Moore moving forward, but despite the pick of his form coming when racing clockwise, the handler is eyeing up an outing in the Weatherbys Hurdle (January 22), in which Goshen was beaten just over a length despite hanging badly for big-race pilot Jamie Moore last season.

“He ran well (at Kempton), I was very pleased with him,” said Moore. “Obviously I’m a little disappointed he didn’t run a little bit better and win, but it was his first go at the trip. Whether we can improve on that I don’t know, but at least it gives me a few more options of where to go.

“I think he proved he stayed, but he just got outstayed by the winner who is a strong stayer. I thought the only chance we had of beating him was on a pan-flat track because for me, Paisley Park needs all of three miles and Kempton is an easy three miles. They didn’t really go that fast and it’s a tough one to call, but Goshen certainly ran as well as he could anyway.”

On the immediate future he added: “My hands are tied slightly and he can’t really go left handed, but I think I might give Lingfield’s Million Weekend another go, because Jamie said when he dropped him in he was so settled and giving him no aggravation whatsoever.

Trainer Gary Moore is keen to run Goshen at Lingfield on January 22
Trainer Gary Moore is keen to run Goshen at Lingfield on January 22 (Nigel French/PA)

“So we might just give it a go and he’ll go in the ground – he’ll get his ground there. That will probably be his next objective.”

However, it does appear that fences are off the agenda for the time being.

Goshen struggled in his sole chasing appearance at Ascot earlier in the season and Moore feels there is no point trying the larger obstacles again this term – although he has not completely ruled it out for the future.

He added: “I won’t go over fences again now this far into the season. Whether we go over fences again next year, maybe. But it would have to be on very soft ground, not quick ground.”

Editeur Du Gite shocks Desert Orchid rivals

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There was a shock in the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase as Gary Moore’s Editeur Du Gite made every yard in the hands of Niall Houlihan to record a scintillating victory at Kempton.

The race was billed as a clash between Arkle and Tingle Creek hero Edwardstone and 2020 champion Nube Negra and the main protagonists were content to sit in rear as Editeur Du Gite bowled along in front during the early exchanges.

However, the complexion of the race changed at the fifth fence when Edwardstone made a bad blunder at the open ditch and parted company with big-race pilot Tom Cannon.

Harry Skelton crept his way into contention aboard Nube Negra rounding the home bend, but was soon sending out the distress signals on the 4-1 second favourite and had to settle for the silver medal as Houlihan kept the revs up aboard Editeur Du Gite and jumped his rivals into submission up the home straight.

A return to aggressive tactics paid off for the 28-1 scorer and the victory comes nine years after Sire De Grugy lit up Kempton in the colours of winning part-owners the Preston Family. The eight-year-old has now been introduced at 33-1 by both Paddy Power and Betfair to follow in the footsteps of the Moore-trained Sire De Grugy, winner of the 2014 Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

“I said to Niall ‘just ride him to be third’ as I had no other expectations,” said the winning trainer.

“He is not at his best right-handed and the ground is probably a bit softer than he would have liked it so they tell me. He has just proved everything wrong today.

“They are a great bunch of owners. The saddest thing is that Trevor (Jacobs, part owner) has been in hospital for six months now but he is gradually getting better. He is a great man, it is just a shame that he is not here. What this horse has done for all of them (is great). They are the luckiest bunch of owners, they had Sire De Grugy then this horse.

“He is no Sire De Grugy but he isn’t far behind him. It is great and good for the yard as they have worked hard over Christmas – it is well deserved.”

On future plans, Moore added: “There (Cheltenham) and Aintree (are where his best performances have been) and he will now have to go for the Game Spirit.

“He will have to have a Champion Chase entry as handicaps are definitely out of the question. His work at home has been very good, you could gallop him with any two-mile hurdler and he will gallop with them, if not better. It is a massive surprise but you need to have surprises like this.

Jockey Niall Houlihan celebrates winning the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase with horse Editeur Du Gite during day two of the Ladbrokes Christmas Festival at Kempton
Jockey Niall Houlihan celebrates winning the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase with horse Editeur Du Gite during day two of the Ladbrokes Christmas Festival at Kempton (Nigel French/PA)

“The only thing is Josh (Moore) isn’t riding – that is the only thing missing – but fair play to Niall he has done well on the horse and it is great for him. They get on well together every time he has ridden him.”

Runner-up Nube Negra will now be freshened up for another tilt at the Champion Chase in March, with Dan Skelton believing the tacky nature of the Sunbury track took its toll on his good-ground loving eight-year-old.

He said: “The ground was tacky today but fair play to the winner, he’s set really hard fractions in really tacky ground and made it really hard work for everybody.

“Our horse has had to give him 6lb, but on the ground it’s just made it very hard for us. Take nothing away from the winner though, we’ll freshen him up now and go for the Champion Chase and fingers crossed we get some really nice ground.”

Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase is also on the cards for Edwardstone, with Alan King reporting both horse and rider to be fine following their early exit.

“They’re both fine,” said the Barbury Castle handler. “I’d have to watch it again, normally him and Tom do everything right, normally they sort it between them and today they didn’t. Nobody has died, he’s fine and he enjoyed himself when loose afterwards.

“I’ve been at it long enough to know that as long as they’re OK, there’s always another day. We’re gutted of course but I’ve been in worse places. I’d imagine we’ll stick to the original plan and look at the Game Spirit at Newbury. It’s a shame but it happens – for once they didn’t quite get it right today.”

Goshen heading into the unknown for Long Walk assignment

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Gary Moore will be an intrigued onlooker when Goshen tackles three miles for the first time in the Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.

The one-time Champion Hurdle hope embarked on a novice chasing campaign at the start of the season, but a disappointing first effort over fences meant that plan was swiftly aborted.

Goshen may not always be the easiest to predict, but he is a force to be reckoned with on a going day, as he proved when winning the two-and-a-half-mile Coral Hurdle at Ascot last month.

The cancellation of Ascot’s Long Walk card and the subsequent switch to Sunbury means the six-year-old will visit Kempton for the first time since running on the all-weather four years ago. But Moore does not expect the change of venue to be a problem.

He said: “We’re looking forward to it to a certain extent, it’ll be interesting.

“I don’t see any reason why he won’t stay – he’s a pretty relaxed horse. He’ll need to stay in that company, so we’ll see.

“It wasn’t until he ran at Ascot last month that we thought about it (stepping up in trip) as he didn’t really get going until he turned into the straight that day.

“He’s so limited as to what races he can run in as he has to go right-handed and can’t really run in handicaps, so it was either run over two miles in the Christmas Hurdle or over three in the Long Walk.

“They’re getting a nice drop of rain, which is good for us, and if he does stay the trip it will give us a few more options.”

Two horses who have been there and very much done it over three miles are familiar foes Champ and Paisley Park.

The 10-year-olds treated Newbury racegoers to a humdinger in their latest clash in last month’s Long Distance Hurdle, with Nicky Henderson’s Champ repelling the late thrust of Paisley Park by a neck.

“It was disappointing Ascot was off but it is good they keep the Grade Ones, which is important,” Henderson told Unibet ahead of the rematch.

“It hasn’t inconvenienced Champ. I’m not sure Kempton is a great track for him as he tends to go a little left, mind you Ascot is right-handed as well and he’s won there.

“Kempton is a little tighter and it possibly won’t suit Paisley Park either, so we’re probably both in the same boat and something else might come and beat them!”

Paisley Park’s trainer Emma Lavelle has similar thoughts to Henderson on the suitability of Kempton for her stable star, but is nevertheless happy to roll the dice.

She said: “He’s unbelievable, he really he is. He seems to be absolutely flying in himself and came out of Newbury really well.

“I have to say I was kind of surprised at just how well he did run at Newbury, with it being his first run of the season on ground that would have put the emphasis on speed rather than stamina. I was absolutely thrilled with how he ran – thrilled and gutted at the same time.

“But the fact that he is still prepared to put that much into his races and run to that level just shows what an extraordinary horse he is.

“The track is clearly not ideal and he’s going to have to run to his absolute best to win a race like that on a track like that, but who knows?”

Miranda has won at Kempton before
Miranda has won at Kempton before (Steven Paston/PA)

The small but select field is completed by the Paul Nicholls-trained Miranda, who won a Listed prize over the course and distance a month ago but faces a significant step up in grade, and Hughie Morrison’s Not So Sleepy.

Nicholls told Betfair: “She returns to Kempton in top form after a career best at this track last time in a Listed mares’ race, which she won decisively on her first attempt at three miles.

“She ran very well on the Flat before that, wants this trip now and the rain they have had at Kempton should have helped her cause.

“I suspect that the track at Kempton might not be ideal for Champ and Paisley Park, while it is perfect for Miranda.

“I’m glad this race is at Kempton not Ascot and Miranda must have a great chance in receipt of 7lb from the boys.”