Hurricane Pat Sweeps To Sandown Success For In-form Moore Team

Gary and Josh Moore's dream spell at Sandown continued Saturday when Hurricane Pat played himself into the Cheltenham Festival with a facile triumph in the opening Betfair Exchange Claremont Novices' Hurdle.


An outstanding course-and-distance scorer last month, the five-year-old was sent 7-2 in the Listed event and with Philip Hobbs and Johnson White's heavy favourite Sober Glory failing to measure up to his reputation, Hurricane Pat was delegated roam home to a five-and-a-half-length success over Dan Skelton's Cheltenham winner Soldier Reeves.


Josh Moore stated: "He's won very remarkably and I was quite positive when we made the entry this was the ideal race on paper.


"It was an excellent race on paper however he did an extremely great piece of work recently and that sufficed to bring him here. I was believing he might desire more but the work was with the horse that won here the other day, Macktoad, and he sort of made me think two miles would be for him.


"We always thought he might desire better ground also, so today was a little a concern however Caoilin (Quinn, jockey) seemed to think he was better on this ground today.


"He was a good horse in 2015 but he has actually strengthened up a lot over the summertime and his mind has matured also, he's taking whatever in his stride well. He won his two bumpers and we have actually been extremely patient with him and he's paid his way now over hurdles."


Hurricane Pat impressed at Sandown (John Walton/PA)


Hurricane Pat was introduced into the Supreme Novices' Hurdle market at 25-1 by Paddy Power, with connections entitled to begin imagining the future.


Moore added: "He's won a Noted race so he's clearly got capacity. We'll see how he comes out these days because he is a horse we can't over race.


"You have to think along the lines of the Supreme and whether that may be a bit much for him we'll discover out. We can certainly gear towards that all the same.


"It's an embarassment the Tolworth isn't here and there is constantly Aintree (Formby Novices' Hurdle). If the Tolworth had actually been here we would absolutely be here. He's won that so perfectly though that I wouldn't be in a rush to run once again."


Joe Tizzard's team are also in type and his hot streak continued when 11-8 favourite Sunset Marquesa developed on her Exeter go back to tape an emphatic six-and-a-half-length verdict in the Betfair Supports Racing With Pride Mares' Handicap Hurdle.


Tizzard stated: "She did it well and when the race cut up a bit I did fancy her to go and do that.


"It was outstanding and this was the right race today. She will get jacked up a few (pounds) and then we'll have an excellent look. I was thinking driving up this morning if she goes and wins how I hope I do not have a strategy, however I will in the early morning."


Hobbs and White will continue to outline a hurdling course with Kikijo after the improving 9-4 joint-favourite developed on his recent Cheltenham success with a hard-fought victory in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.


Hobbs stated: "He's a bit unusual similar to a horse like him you would be thinking about going beginner chasing next year, however he's already won a chase at Newbury last year so that is not an alternative.


"I expect having actually won 2 difficulty races he will most likely run in another one. It gets harder now clearly and after winning 2 in a row, it's not frequently they win three. But we might simply have to search for another handicap hurdle somewhere on a stiff track with screening ground like here.


"We might have blown his mark for the Final but he's just a young horse and could improve. The Pertemps Final wasn't always a plan and there will be a great deal of Irish horses coming over and we may just have to take what we can.


"For this collaboration we quite perhaps could run in the Final, but I wouldn't be thinking with the most likely good ground in the spring it would be our main objective - he may run it however, why not."