Arctic Bresil among eight declared for Unibet Tolworth Novices' Hurdle Arctic Bresil will face seven rivals when the Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding lines up for the Grade 1 Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday. Luccia as expected is absentee following an unsatisfactory scope but chief market rivals Authorised Speed and Tahmuras have been declared, with all bar two of the runners being last-time-out winners. Rachael Blackmore will again take the mount on Arctic Bresil, who was purchased for 305,000 pounds after finishing second in a point-to-point for Sean Doyle and made an impressive debut for current connections when beating the odds-on Mercurey in a Cork maiden hurdle last month. Victory for Authorised Speed would be the perfect way to repay owner Pat Gallagher, according to trainer Gary Moore. It was earlier in the year that Gallagher came to the Moore family’s rescue during the time Josh Moore was recuperating in a Liverpool hospital from numerous serious injuries sustained in a bad fall at Haydock. The Champion Bumper fifth’s owner provided the family with the use of his helicopter for the duration of Josh’s long stay in hospital, which came as a huge help for the Sussex-based Moores in making the regular 250-mile plus journey to Merseyside. With Josh now home and assisting his father at their Lower Beeding base, Moore believes success for Authorised Speed in the Grade 1 — which often serves as a key Supreme Novices’ Hurdle trial and was won last year by Constitution Hill — would be the “icing on the cake” in terms of showing his gratitude to Gallagher. Moore said: “Pat is an unbelievable man and he was so helpful when Josh was in hospital. He is such a kind and generous man. “I don’t know how many times I went to Liverpool in the helicopter to see Josh, it must have been six or seven times and that is not cheap to do that. It saved a lot of time and headaches on the road to fly me and Phoebe, Josh’s partner, up there. It was a massive help and he couldn’t have done any more. “I could never do enough for him and to get him a Grade 1 winner would be fantastic. He has had a few flat horses with me before and he is very grateful for everything you give him, but a Grade 1 winner really would put the icing on the cake as a way of thanks.” Paddy Power bet: 15/8 Tahmuras 9/4 Authorised Speed 5/2 Arctic Bresil 18/1 Lastroboy, Nemean Lion 25/1 Blow Your Wad, Colonel Harry 33/1 Ukantango.
