In this week’s edition of Jamie Moore’s Diary, the Hollywoodbets-sponsored jock chats to Neil about an impressive ride at Esher, bids farewell and looks forward to the festive season!
The jumps cognoscenti has its gaze firmly fixed on Sandown Park this weekend, and Jamie plans to ride at the Esher course with AUTHORISED SPEED earmarked for the opening novices’ hurdle on Saturday.
Few horses have impressed Jamie as much as the Authorized five-year-old, who made a pleasing return when coming home unchallenged in very soft conditions at Lingfield.
The jockey was pleased with the gelding’s jumping in a midweek school at his father Gary’s yard, though he’s mindful that underfoot conditions are likely to be completely different.
He explained: “Subject to a blood test and routine scope returning ok he’s set to go to Sandown. I was pleased with his jumping on Wednesday, and it’s all systems go on that score.
“I’m excited by him and a mark of his ability is that he was the first British-trained horse home in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.
“The ground was bottomless at Lingfield and also at Cheltenham, but on Saturday it will be a lot drier, probably good to soft. That’s ok, but I would rather it was softer and he’s up against a Paul Nicholls horse that was impressive at Exeter. He’s also cutting back three furlongs in trip, though the stiff uphill finish will help him.”
Jamie experienced both the highs and lows of the sport last week, where he never had an anxious moment steering GIVEGA to victory at Lingfield, but saw the stable’s fine prospect PORTICELLO lose his life in a final flight fall in the handicap hurdle at Newbury.
One of last season’s top juvenile hurdlers, Jamie opined of Porticello: “It was gutting for all connections and especially his owner Ollie Harris. The reason he fell was that he was tired and went for a long one and paid the penalty. He was a bonny horse who gave me my first Grade 1 winner over hurdles, and it’s a very sad loss.”
GIVEGA had just a couple of days earlier scored at Lingfield with similar authority to Authorized Speed and Jamie reckons this could be a horse with a bright future.
He added: “He’s very similar to Authorized Speed. He’s also by Authorized and wants the ground like a ploughed field. Both horses pulled hard but jumped well. There’s a possibility Givega will head for the Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle at Ascot before Christmas.
