Moore duo have a few chances of striking Gold in this jumps season

By Mitchell Jones

Sussex racing and the Moore family go hand in hand, and with some top hurdlers in their ranks, it’s set to be another exciting season ahead for the Gary and Josh Moore yard.

Mark of Gold is a 140-rated hurdler who has won seven times over the smaller obstacles.

The seven-year-old son of Derby winner Golden Horn caught the eye when finishing second at Plumpton on Monday.

Ridden by the stable’s conditional jockey Rob Hargreaves, Mark of Gold raced enthusiastically and looked a big threat turning for home, only to be bettered in the closing stages by Irish Hill, a smart hurdler from the Paul Nicholls yard.

Connections will have been delighted with this run as Mark of Gold usually saves his best form for the spring, so it is hugely encouraging to see him in such fine fettle at this stage of the season.

He has lined up in the Lanzarote Hurdle the past two seasons (unfortunately falling on both occasions) and this would seem a logical target again, given that he loves it around Kempton, having scored twice at the Surrey track.

There is no debating that Hansard is a very talented horse, a six-year-old son of The Gurkha, who won the 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes at Goodwood for Aidan O’Brien.

Hansard lost little in defeat when we last saw him on the track, beaten just over three lengths in a valuable handicap hurdle at Ascot in December.

What was most striking was the way that Hansard travelled through the race that day. He has a high cruising speed and was still on the bridle entering the home straight.

Unfortunately he had the burden of top weight, the price to pay for his talent, and he was unable to reel in his lesser weighted rivals.

We could see Hansard reappear later this month, possibly in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton where he finished second last year.

He is reported to have thrived this summer and it will be great to see him back in the mix for some big prizes.

Last and by no means least is Spirit D’Aunou, a five-year-old gelding owned by the East Sussex based Heart Of The South racing syndicate. This horse bolted up at Sandown in December of last year, before facing some tough assignments in two of the most competitive handicaps of the year, finishing down the field in the Betfair Hurdle and Imperial Cup.

However, Spirit D’Aunou was back on track for his final run of the season, stepping up in trip by half a mile, he showed a great attitude to stay on for a fifth place finish in a 19-runner handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National Meeting.

A horse that jumps well and handles softer conditions, connections will have a plethora of options to choose from this season. One of those options is to go over fences - the athleticism he has shown over hurdles points to a bright future over the bigger obstacles.

However, being a young horse, connections could opt to gain some more experience over hurdles, particularly if the ground conditions turn testing. Whether it’s hurdles or fences, he’s a horse to keep an eye on.

Gary and Josh Moore have four horses entered at Fontwell’s meeting today, including Kissman, a promising ex-French recruit who lines up in the feature Class 3 handicap hurdle, one of six races on the card.

A race in which the Moores invariably have a live contender is the prestigious Southern National and that’s next up at Fontwell on Sunday, November 17.