Goshen was set to obliterate the field in the 2020 Triumph Hurdle before falling at the final hurdle; he won the Kingwell Hurdle last season but disappointed in the Champion Hurdle when hanging violently to his right; trainer Gary Moore insists he retains all of his ability
Wednesday 17 November 2021 13:57, UK
Gary Moore is confident Goshen's brilliant ability remains fully intact ahead of his intended reappearance in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday.
Best known for his final-flight exit when set to run out a wide-margin winner of the 2020 Triumph Hurdle, the Authorized gelding has endured a few bumps in the road since.
A runaway success in last season's Kingwell Hurdle suggested the five-year-old was back on track following a listless performance on his first start of the campaign in the International at Cheltenham.
But having hung violently right in the Champion Hurdle and been well-beaten on his most recent outing at Punchestown in April, Goshen will again have something to prove if returning this weekend.
Moore said: "We're planning to run at Ascot on Saturday, as long as the ground stays good to soft.
"He's had an uninterrupted preparation and is ready to run. I just don't know how much longer we have to wait for it to rain so he can run.
"He's 100 per cent at home. I'm very happy with him."
The Sussex-based trainer had hoped to get his stable star back on track in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton earlier in the month, but he was withdrawn due to the drying ground.
Moore admits conditions are again unlikely to be ideal in Berkshire, but hopes the the extra half-mile of Saturday's Grade Two contest will be a help.
"The ground can't be soft enough for him, to be honest with you," Moore added.
"But the fact it's two and a half miles on Saturday, rather than two miles in the Elite Hurdle, does make a bit of difference."
