Speed test awaits rising stars in high-class Tolworth

Moore aware of size of task in Grade One challenge at Sandown.

Authorised Speed will need to “up his game a fair bit” if he is to strike Grade One gold in Saturday’s Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown.

Fifth behind Facile Vega in last season’s Champion Bumper, Authorised Speed bolted up on his hurdling debut at Lingfield before surviving a final flight blunder to follow up over this course and distance.

The Gary Moore-trained six-year-old is clear favourite to successfully graduate to the highest level on his return to the Esher track – but Moore is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with him, but he needs to improve a lot as it is the strongest Tolworth Hurdle I’ve seen for a long time,” said Moore.

“He has got to up his game a fair bit on what he has done so far, but you can only beat what is put in front of you.

“Hopefully having that bit of experience around Sandown will help us a bit as we need everything going for us we can get.

“We liked him a lot from the start and he has always shown that he has a lot of ability.”

Paul Nicholls won the Tolworth Hurdle four times between 2003 and 2008 and has high hopes of adding to his tally with Tahmuras.

Tahmuras (centre) leads the way at Haydock
Tahmuras (centre) leads the way at Haydock (Nigel French/PA)

The Wincanton bumper winner is two from two over hurdles, with an impressive Chepstow performance followed by a dominant success in Listed company at Haydock.

Nicholls told Betfair: “He has made a great start over hurdles and and kept on strongly at the finish in a Listed race last time at Haydock where his jumping was very slick.

“While this Grade One event looks competitive, it was always the plan for Tahmuras, who keeps galloping and will be well suited by the testing nature of Sandown on soft ground.”

The only unbeaten horse in the field is L’Astroboy, who takes a big jump in class after narrowly beating Tahmuras in a bumper at Ffos Las last season before returning to the Welsh track to make a successful transition to hurdling in November.

Trainer Evan Williams said: “We didn’t know where to go, but he wants a bit of cut in the ground and you often get a bit of cut in the ground at Sandown.

“It will be a very tough race, obviously. It will be a small field and he will handle the conditions, but there was nowhere really to run him, so we thought we’d have a look at that.

“It is a huge jump, but we just thought the track and the ground would be a help to him. It is full of very good horses.”

There has only been one previous Irish-trained winner of the Tolworth, with the Willie Mullins-trained Yorkhill striking gold in 2016 before becoming a dual Cheltenham Festival winner.

Carrying hopes of the raiding party this year is Henry de Bromhead’s Arctic Bresil – a GBP 305,000 purchase from the point-to-point field who made an impressive debut at Cork last month.

Nemean Lion (Kerry Lee), Colonel Harry (Jamie Snowden), Blow Your Wad (Tom Lacey) and Ukantango (Olly Murphy) complete the field.

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