Gary Moore is not ruling out a shot at the JCB Triumph Hurdle with
Man, despite suffering defeat in Kempton’s Adonis Hurdle.
An expensive €520,000 recruit off the Flat having finished fifth in the French Derby and fourth at Royal Ascot behind Calandagan, the son of Mondialiste has plenty of class and showed promise when second to Triumph Hurdle favourite Lulamba on his jumping debut at Ascot.
He proved much too keen on that occasion and his tendency to race freely was evident again when sent off the 5-6 market leader for Kempton’s Grade Two, with the gelding unsuited by the lack of pace in the opening stages.
kept on for third, beaten just shy of two lengths by Ben Pauling’s Mambonumberfive, but Moore – who trains the talented youngster alongside son Josh – is keen to take the positives ahead of a possible tilt at the Cheltenham Festival’s juvenile Grade One.
He said: “Obviously, it was disappointing and without going on about it, they did go very slow. When they go 26 and 28 miles per hour, you are going to be free when you are used to going much quicker on the Flat.
“I was pleased with his jumping and he’s come out of the race fine, so I’m not ruling him out of the Triumph. I’m not going to say he will win the Triumph, but he finished close enough to the favourite on his first run.
“It was a backwards step the other day but I’m hopeful he will improve on that run and will have learned something from being held up. It’s an extra bit of experience gained and he can take a shot at the Triumph.
“He was born to be a dual-purpose horse and he will have one more run and we will then take it from there.”
Mondo Man is a best priced 33-1 for the Triumph on Friday week.