JAMIE MOORE shares his thoughts on what to look out for on New Years Day as well as two novices on the horizon.
ALL roads lead to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day when Jamie is looking forward to partnering, BOTOX HAS who has a choice of engagements at the Prestbury Park fixture.
The gelding skipped a tilt at Kempton’s Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle on Boxing Day leaving that honour to GOSHEN. He’s a horse Jamie is itching to get back on board, as the jockey was in winning action on Goshen at Ascot on the day Botox Has prevailed in a valuable race at Haydock.
The Hollywoodbets-sponsored jockey observed: “Botox Has is a good horse and stays well, but the ground will decide which option he takes at Cheltenham. If it’s soft he’ll run over two and a half miles (Relkeel Hurdle), but should it be good he’ll go for the three miler (Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle.”
Goshen ran a huge race in defeat against Paisley Park and Champ in the Long Walk, only conceding defeat on the Kempton run-in. Gary Moore’s stable star will now target a Graded race at the Winter Millions fixture at Lingfield in February, his rider enthusing: “I was pleased with the way he settled. He stayed the three miles but wasn’t quite good enough.
“There aren’t many options so we might as well go to Lingfield where he can have a gallop round and get paid. “He’s not happy going left-handed, but he’s run well in this race before. It’s better than giving him a gallop at home.”
Two novices that Jamie is also looking forward to are PERSEUS WAY and GIVEGA, both of whom ran well over the Christmas period. Perseus Way stayed on for a cheque in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) at Chepstow, while Givega preserved his unbeaten record with a smooth success at Fontwell.
Jamie concluded: “Perseus Way was a bit cold in the early stages but he jumped fine. He came there to win between the last two hurdles but wasn’t quite good enough. Givega won as we expected and will now step up in grade. He’s now won both his races over hurdles and will be better over two and a half miles.”
