JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial
Juvenile Hurdle, Cheltenham 12:10
£25,000 added,
3yo only,
2m 179y, Class 2  
Saturday 14th December 2019

QuinnBet

1 Botox Has 8/11F
2 Langer Dan 5/1
3 Elysian Flame 4/1
8 ran NR: Repetitio, Tremwedge Distances: 5l, 4l, ½l
Time: 4m 21.57s (slow by 27.57s)

Favourite backers got off to the perfect start when 8/11 market leader Botox Has (Gary Moore/Joshua Moore) comfortably landed the opening JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.
 
The son of Dream Well made all the running and, despite drifting left on the run in, had five lengths to spare over runner-up Langer Dan (Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton) at the finish. 
 
Botox Has is now a winner of two of his three starts for the Moore stable. His only reversal came at The November Meeting at Cheltenham when he was the two and a half lengths runner-up to Allmankind in the G2 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.
 
Gary Moore said: "Botox Has is still a baby. It was only the fourth race in his life and he has never run on the Flat. He is learning and growing up all the time and is going the right way. It's hard to make the running out there with the strong headwind being a baby as well.

"His jumping is excellent - he is very French that way - and he has been a good jumper from day one. That is always a big advantage at this stage of their careers. His stamina has won it today. He was only a length up going to the last and jumped it like it was on fire - he took in too much daylight, and he has won by five lengths, which is testament to his stamina.

"It depends on where I go with Goshen because I want to keep them apart as long as I can. Whether he comes back here for Festival Trials Day or goes to Huntington for the Chatteris Fen. To keep them apart, it wouldn't worry me to go to Huntington with Goshen."
 
Winning rider Joshua Moore said: "Botox Has is a horse we like a lot but he is quite babyish still. There was no obvious pace today but he is a galloper - I didn't want to make my own running but we were kind of forced to as I didn't want to be sitting off a slow gallop. We had to see whether he had the mind for it yet and he did.
 
"He had his ears pricked out in front the whole way and the only time we struggled a bit was up the straight. It's a very strong crosswind today and it was blowing him everywhere. He was a bit lonely on his own but got down and did it well.
 
"He jumped well - he was having a good look and measuring his hurdles nicely. I went to let him pop at the last and he came up out of my hands, so it probably shows that he might have had a bit left.
 
"He and Goshen have done a bit of work together in the early autumn. Goshen seems a lot more forward because he has run on the Flat but this lad is now starting to catch up on his homework. They are both good jumpers and both go in soft ground, so it will be interesting - they would be quite different types but are both progressing the right way.

"He is quite small and weak still. All he has done through the season is gradually strengthen up and grow up. Chepstow [for the G1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle] might come a bit soon but something along those lines would be right for him down the line, we hope."

QuinnBet

JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial (Juvenile Hurdle)
£25,000 added, 3yo only, 2m 179y, Class 2
9 ran
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places

POS DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Botox Has 3 11-2 Gary Moore Joshua Moore 8/11F
2 5 Langer Dan 3 11-5 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 5/1
3 4 Elysian Flame 3 10-12 Michael Easterby Paddy Brennan 4/1
4 1 Group Stage 3 11-2 Alan King A P Heskin 8/1
5 6 Hereia 3 11-2 Neil Mulholland Tom Scudamore 33/1
6 11 Rikoboy 3 10-12 Dr Richard Newland Sam Twiston-Davies 12/1
7 4½ Art Of Diplomacy 3 10-12 Michael Easterby Jamie Hamilton 100/1
8 3½ Say The Word 3 10-12 Tom George Jonathan Burke 40/1
NR 5 421333 Repetitio 3 11-2 Nigel Hawke NON RUNNER
NR 9 33 Tremwedge 3 10-12 Miss Ellmarie Holden NON RUNNER