Jamie Moore was unseated by Goshen when set to run out a hugely impressive winner of the 2020 Triumph Hurdle; pair combine again in Saturday's Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot, live on Sky Sports Racing
Saturday 18 December 2021 06:23, UK
Wounds in sport can take a long time healing and Jamie Moore still has not entirely recovered from the agony of being unseated from Goshen at the final flight of the 2019 JCB Triumph Hurdle, when the race looked firmly in the bag.
He admits he sometimes tires of talking about the five-year-old, and redemption in the form of another Grade One might still be some way off.
However, he believes that Goshen will have plenty going for him when he drops to handicap company for the first time over hurdles in the valuable Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot on Saturday, even though he would have loved to see more rain.
Since the Triumph Goshen's 22-length defeat of solid yardstick Song For Someone in an Elite Hurdle run on his preferred heavy ground at Wincanton has really been the only occasion on which he has looked the same horse.
Now, to add to two subsequent Grade One defeats behind Honeysuckle, he also needs to put behind him a somewhat flat return when fourth behind Buzz at Ascot last month.
Later examination of the Cheltenham mishap revealed that Goshen's feet got caught up in a freak incident over which Moore had little or no control, but that was little comfort to the rider.
"It still annoys me," he admits. "If he had come out and won the Champion Hurdle the following year, we could forget all about it, but he didn't. I thought the world of him, and he's underachieved. I let him down, and now he's letting me down."
Saturday's race, with £105,000 guaranteed prize money, is as competitive as it ought to be for that sort of money, but it nevertheless represents a significant drop in class for Goshen, who won had won his last six races when he lined up for the Triumph, the last of them over Saturday's course and distance.
This time there is no Buzz to worry about, let alone a Honeysuckle, and with a mark of 153 he has certainly been given a chance by the handicapper.
"I'd love him off 133," Moore joked, "but 153 isn't too bad. They had to drop him to be fair after Ascot, but the form is actually working out quite well with Guard Your Dreams (third) and Song For Someone (second) finishing first and second in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham last weekend.
"I'm not going to lie though. I was disappointed at Ascot. I thought we had half a chance going to two out, but he just didn't pick up and felt a bit one paced.
"That said, he hadn't gone as well as he can do in his last piece of work before Ascot, but he's in tip-top shape again now."
A change of tactics had been tried that day too and they are unlikely to be repeated.
"It was his first try at two miles and three," Moore explained. "I thought if we were ever going to do it we'd do it in a five-runner race, and then if he tried to run off with me I'd just let him go, but he didn't and he switched off lovely.
"I don't know what we'll do on Saturday, but I won't be giving anyone too much start over two miles.
"I'd have loved more rain for him, but it's not going to come."
A field of 14 has been declared for Saturday's race, with Soaring Glory the most notable absentee, and Moore has had a good look at the opposition.
He said: "There are four horses in particular which I have a lot of respect for, getting weight from us. I thought Samarrive was very impressive the other day at Sandown, and Benson got no run through that day in fourth. West Cork is decent enough, and Onemorefortheroad is improving."
The ante-post market has been headed by Nicky Henderson's No Ordinary Joe, who was third behind West Cork at Cheltenham on his handicap debut and carries the colours of JP McManus.
Moore is taking the lion's share of the stable's rides while his brother Josh remains on the sidelines, and with the team in good form he is already ahead of his own recent injury-beset schedules on 37 for the season.
Besides Goshen, he is looking forward to riding Imphal in the opening Foundation Developments Novices' Handicap Hurdle, in which his father Gary also runs Next Left (David Noonan), and Zhighuli in the Howden Handicap Chase.
He said: "I think everything is right for Imphal. Trip and track are ideal for him and the drier the ground the better so far as he's concerned. He was a good Flat horse at one point, and he's come back to himself now, so I'd give him a chance in a competitive race.
"We are still learning about Next Left but he ran okay at Plumpton. He was a bit one-paced there, and the longer trip will help, but he might be a pound or two too high on 115.
"We are dropping Zhiguli back in trip because he's just got a bit keen on me. He might just get rushed off his feet a bit though and I'd be more confident if it was heavy ground.
"He's a funny character - a bit dopey and stupid - but he's a progressive sort of horse and I think one day he'll be rated a fair bit higher. I think he'll get there eventually."
