Gary Moore will hope Authorised Speed can follow up his convincing win last time out with victory in today’s Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown.
The 2022 renewal looks ideally suited, although Jockey Jamie Moore will hope to avoid a repeat of the blunder he made at the final flight a month ago, where he virtually ploughed through the hurdle.
The absence of Nicky Henderson’s Luccia from today’s renewal is a disappointment, although it is unlikely that she would have been competitive today having only had the one previous race over hurdles at Newbury in November.
Gary Moore is confident in the ability of Authorised Speed. He has won both hurdle starts this season, at Lingfield Park and more recently at Sandown where he defied the penalty to win by 6 1/2 lengths, despite mowing down the last.
“He’s going to have to put up an improved performance on what he’s done so far, but hopefully he can do that,” said Moore. “He made a clumsy mistake last time but generally his jumping is pretty good.
“I’d actually like a drop of rain and there’s been a couple of dry days now. It was very dead when he ran there last time and I’d like it a bit wetter.”
The market for today’s race has been unusually tight, although Authorised Speed is beginning to shorten this morning (11/8) ahead of Tahmuras (11/4) and Arctic Bresil (4/1) who is on the drift.
All three are defending 100% uneaten records over hurdles and, even without the ante-post favourite Luccia, this is one of the strongest Tolworth Hurdle renewals in a while.
Tahmuras is rated 2lb higher than the favourite and will probably run prominently. Nicholl’s 6-year-old gelding was not especially fluent last time out and will need to jump better if he is to fend off his rivals today.
The Irish challenger, Arctic Bresil, looks the best of the rest. The booking of Rachel Blackmore suggests this is one to take seriously today.
The race was won last year by Constitution Hill, who has been a superstar this season.
Unibet Tolworth Hurdle (2.25 Sandown, Saturday)
Ladbrokes: 11/8 Authorised Speed, 11/4 Tahmuras, 4/1 Arctic Bresil, 11/1 Nemean Lion, 14/1 L’astroboy, 25/1 Colonel Harry, 28-1 Bar