GARY Moore will be breaking out his best rain-dance moves in the coming days as stable star Goshen nears a return to action.
Last year’s star juvenile hurdler, who had the Triumph at his mercy before a final-flight error cost him the race, is entered in a pair of handicaps at Haydock on Saturday.
He has the option to run over 1m6f or 1m4f this weekend, though he will only take up his entry if ground conditions are suitable.
And Moore is desperate to get a run into the horse to set him up for an ambitious tilt at the Group 2 Long Distance Cup on Qipco British Champions Day.
Moore told Sun Racing: “He’s in great order, I’m very happy with him.
“I think Haydock are calling the ground ‘Good’ at the minute and I won’t run him unless it’s Good to Soft. There is a bit of rain around and we could do with some over the next couple of days.
“If we can get the run into him at Haydock we will take it from there, but we have entered him in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot.
“We will need to get a run into him but it is something that’s under consideration, you can normally guarantee Soft ground on Champions Day.
“I might be dreaming, I don’t know, but I think he is up to that sort level on the Flat. I’d like to think he is getting better but time will tell.
“I thought the Cup races weren’t a strong standard when you take Stradivarius out of it, and obviously he will be going to the Arc.
“There is plenty of racing going on next month so I thought the race could be a good opportunity for him – but we need to get a run into him.”
If the weather Gods don’t play ball over the next few days, Moore will begin mapping out Goshen’s path to the Champion Hurdle.
But early season targets will again be dictated by underfoot conditions.
Moore explained: “We’ve got some hurdling targets in the back of our minds if the Flat plans don’t pan out.
Trainer Gary Moore confirms to our Trackman that leading Triumph hope Goshen will run at Ascot on Saturday
Fingers crossed we see a similar performance to this!pic.twitter.com/LGmn7wAVZm
— Sun Racing (@SunRacing) January 13, 2020
“There is the Listed hurdle at Kempton on the same weekend as Champions Day, but I’ve been around a long time now and as long as I can remember the ground at that meeting is normally pretty quick.
“There is the Elite Hurdle in November but it can get pretty quick at Wincanton, too. He would be find on genuine autumn or winter Good ground, where the moisture has got in. We wouldn’t mind a wet autumn.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him run as much as everybody else, but it’s a long time until March I don’t want to chance him.”
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