Goshen in line to make highly-anticipated chasing bow at Ascot

Goshen is set to make his eagerly-anticipated chasing debut at Ascot at the end of the month.

The Steve Packham-owned gelding has proved himself a high-class hurdler and signed off last season by winning a second Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

The popular six-year-old, who is far more effective racing on right-handed tracks, looks poised to make his bow over the bigger obstacles in the extended two-and-a-quarter-mile Ascot Underwriting Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, a race trainer Gary Moore won with Nassalam 12 months ago.

Goshen, who had the Triumph Hurdle at his mercy in 2020 only to dramatically unseat Jamie Moore at the final flight, won twice from five starts last season and has twice been placed in handicaps on the Flat this summer.

His last run saw him beaten a neck by Tritonic at Goodwood earlier this month, a race that Moore sees as an ideal tune-up to a novice chasing campaign.

He said: “I was very pleased with that. It was a good performance and he’s taken it well.

“He hopefully runs at Ascot at the end of the month. We’re looking forward to it.

“It wouldn’t be soft enough like the ground they had on Saturday, but anything softer would be fine.”