Is Goshen a Champion Hurdle player? Gary Moore expects to find out on Saturday

Gary Moore expects to discover whether he has a true Champion Hurdle contender when Goshen makes his first start of the season in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday.

The four-year-old was tipped for greatness last term after winning his first three starts over hurdles and was on the verge of an easy Triumph Hurdle success when unseating Jamie Moore at the last.

The son of Authorized had two outings on the Flat during the autumn when well held at Haydock and Goodwood. He missed his reappearance in the Elite Hurdle this month but is set to begin a campaign aimed at a possible tilt at the Champion Hurdle, for which he is a general 8-1 shot.

A clash with Epatante in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle next Saturday had been mooted, but Moore has opted for Ascot's Grade 2, where Goshen is set to face Call Me Lord and Laurina.

Watch Goshen's heartbreaking unseat in the Triumph Hurdle

"They are strong rivals, so this should give us a really good line for us if he is a Champion Hurdle contender or not," Moore said. "They're no mugs and it's not just Call Me Lord and Laurina either. There's a few in there who are really good horses

"I won't know for sure whether he'll run until Thursday morning after he has hopefully scoped clean, but the plan is to run. It definitely has been the target for him rather than the Fighting Fifth. He's been working very well through the autumn and I'm very happy with him.

"This had not been in our minds as the starting point with him but the ground was far too quick for him at Wincanton. Ascot was always likely to be a lot slower, so this was the next obvious target.

"I was disappointed with the first run on the Flat when he was last at Haydock but his effort at Goodwood was far better. I was very happy with it."

Goshen: Champion Hurdle aspirations after Triumph Hurdle mishapCredit: Mark Cranham

Goshen is set to face his toughest task despite being the highest-rated in the field on Racing Post Ratings. He also ventures into unknown territory as regards the trip but will be reunited with Jamie Moore, who returned to the saddle last week following a nasty fall at Fontwell in August.

Coral Hurdle entries and betting

Moore is delighted his son has recovered in time to maintain the partnership and added: "Jamie will be back on board, which is great news because I really think continuity is important with him.

"There will be no issues with the trip, he should be fine with it. He won over basically two and a quarter miles as a three-year-old, so the extra furlong and a half is not going to make a lot of difference at all."

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