Moores eyeing Kempton stop for Mondo Man

Gary Moore could look to Kempton next month with expensive purchase Mondo Man following his hurdling debut at Ascot.

The four-year-old was bought for €520,000 from French trainers Pia and Joakim Brandt after an impressive campaign on the Flat, where he was fifth in the French Derby and fourth in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He went on to make his first start over jumps for new handlers Gary and Josh Moore in the BetMGM Juvenile Hurdle in Berkshire on Saturday, finishing three and a half lengths behind Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba, who is the red-hot 6-4 favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Moore took plenty of positives from his maiden run over hurdles and believes Mondo Man will improve further as he gains more experience, starting with the Grade Two Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton Park on February 22.

He said: “He’s done well. He’s come out of the race really good – very pleased and obviously we are still learning about him, having not had him that long.

“He was pleasing enough, obviously we were getting 10lb from the other horse. We learnt quite a lot on Saturday and we are trying to improve things on what he did on Saturday. He will probably run in the Adonis.”

The long-term target remains the Triumph before a return to the Flat in what could be a busy, yet rewarding campaign for the son of Mondialiste.

“That will be the plan (the Triumph Hurdle). He was bought for that race and also to go back on the Flat,” Moore added.

“He’s not your typical jumper to look at, although he jumped very well, I thought. He’s not your typical jumping type. He’s more of a Flat-racing type and that’s what he’s been bought for, to do the two things.”

Another jumps star in the Moore ranks is Salver, who bounced back from a heavy fall when staying on in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day to finish half a length behind Nemean Lion at Windsor on Friday.

Moore was delighted with the five-year-old’s quick recovery and after a short break, Salver looks set to tackle the Grade Two Star Sports National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on February 23.

“He’s fine, he’s done well. He’s come out of the race pretty good,” Moore said of the son of Motivator.

“It’s hard for a horse to come back in such a short space of time after a heavy fall like that. I was very pleased.

“He would have liked softer ground there, the ground there was neither one thing or the other, they were giving it as soft but it rode probably dead and heavy in places. It was horrible.

“I probably won’t run him now until the National Spirit (Hurdle). The target now will be the National Spirit.

“I don’t want to go to Cheltenham with him, if I can help it. There’s no suitable race there for him – if he runs in a handicap, he’ll have a lot of weight.

“It’s a tough year for him, he had a hard enough race the other day, so I need to give him a bit of time because I do believe he is a horse for the future.”