Hansard fares best of Moore trio in Lingfield monopoly

Hansard was surefooted to claim his first victory over fences in a unusual Lingfield opener where Gary and Josh Moore were responsible for all three runners.

Moore senior had labelled it “disgusting” that it was only his stable able to provide horses suitable for the £12,000 At The Races App Expert Tips ‘Chasing Excellence’ Beginners’ Chase at a course he described as the “best novice chase track in the country”.

However, what may have been a disappointing affair for racing on a wider scale proved the perfect opportunity for Hansard to not only further his chasing education, but also to register a first victory since landing Newbury’s Gerry Feilden over hurdles back in December 2023.

“It’s gone as we hoped and I don’t think it’s going to alter Hansard’s handicap mark, he’s been able to have a nice school round, as have the other two,” said Gary Moore.

“I was very pleased today and it’s not the way you normally ride him as he’s a hold-up horse. He’s jumped impeccably and it didn’t look like he put a foot wrong anywhere.

“That’s his first win since the Gerry Feilden and it won’t do him any harm to get his head back in front.”

Having taken home all the prize money, Moore was happy to call it a “good job done” as he considers a quick return to action for the 1-5 winning favourite.

He said: “We’ll have to have a think what we do next and he’s only gone 26-28 miles per hour all the way round, so he’s not done a lot before having a little sprint after the last. You would think he could go again in a fortnight’s time.

“We normally have to pay to school round, whereas today we got paid to do it, so as far as I’m concerned it’s a good job done.

“It would have been easy to take one out but then the BHA would have had the money, so I may as well have it instead.”

Elsewhere on the card J J Slevin made his first ride at the Surrey track a winning one when producing a power-packed ride to deliver Henrietta Knight’s Precious Metal (9-4) with perfection in the Free Bets On attheraces.com Maiden Hurdle.

The winner of a Listed bumper at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, the four-year-old had to settle for second on his first two hurdling starts but fought on stoutly under Slevin’s urgings to edge out Jamie Snowden’s 5-6 favourite Cinquenta by a neck.

Knight said: “He’s a very nice horse but only a baby still, he’s only a four-year-old. He’s normally a brilliant jumper but he didn’t jump his very best today, but he’s a good horse. Now he’s got his head in front it should really give him confidence.

“J J gave him a very positive ride and it was definitely the right decision to put J J on him. Brendan (Powell, Knight’s assistant) knows him very well from his time with Joseph O’Brien and it was great to give J J his first win at Lingfield, I was delighted.

“We’re probably aiming him at the EBF Final (at Sandown, March 7) and it was only two miles today when really he wants further and soft ground. It was pretty good ground for Lingfield today.

“He’s a horse who has not got a lot of speed but when it gets softer and he goes further he will just stay, he’s a dour stayer and a tough horse.”

Slevin made it a quickfire double when partnering Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’ Masked Man (1-14 favourite) to an easy victory in the Free Race Replays On attheraces.com EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle for his retained owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.