Jamie Moore’s Diary: AUTHORIZED SPEED reaction, weather concerns at Cheltenham, thoughts on a new recruit and more!

JAMIE fears his plans for Cheltenham at the weekend could be thwarted by the weather. He will have a select book of rides should the forecasters get it wrong, including the promising PERSEUS WAY in the JCB Triumph Trial that opens proceedings on Saturday.

Former useful Flat handicapper Perseus Way chased home Scripwriter on his debut over jumps at the ‘Paddy Power’ fixture before beating trees in a Leicester maiden hurdle, when returned 30-100.

Jamie opined: “Perseus Way would be one to look forward to but we are all on weather watch as it’s due to get a lot colder over the next few days. They are saying it could get down to minus 5 or minus 6 which would be enough to kibosh everything.”

Another big race mount awaiting him is NASSALAM in the AIS December Gold Cup Handicap Chase of whom he observed: “Nassalam will take a big step up in trip going two and a half miles, and needs to show he stays.

“He’s been hindered by a tendency to jump left, but that won’t be such a disadvantage for him round Cheltenham. I think the track is perfect for him, but the trip is a big ask.”

Last week Jamie steered AUTHORIZED SPEED to an expected triumph at Sandown Park and afterwards expressed the view that the free going gelding is ready for a step up in trip.

He added: “He wants two and a half miles and his target is the Tolworth Hurdle back at Sandown in the New Year. He can’t have the ground soft enough, and I think we will see him in an even better light over further.”

Jamie resisted comparisons with one of the yard’s new recruits HANSARD, a hugely impressive winner of a novices’ hurdle at Huntingdon that looked very hot on paper in spite of pulling for his head throughout.

He said: “Hansard hadn’t done that at home, and took me by surprise. He’s a faster horse than Authorized Speed but he can travel and quicken. He will have learned plenty from Sunday’s race and is obviously decent.”