Too Soon shines for Moore team in Epsom strike

Gary and Josh Moore could have unearthed a real star at Epsom after Too Soon shed his maiden status in the Betfred Derby ‘Wild Card’ EBF Conditions Stakes.

The only one of the five-strong field not to have won a race heading into this competitive conditions event, the son of Too Darn Hot relished both the testing conditions and move up to an extended mile to down Ralph Beckett’s well regarded 11-10 favourite Anniversary.

Gary Moore admitted it was a gamble running the 11-2 shot in this race when still a maiden, but was confident he could produce the type of display he unleashed on the Surrey Downs in the hands of Rhys Clutterbuck.

Moore said: “I’m very pleased with him and he did very well. It was a race I thought he should run in, but at the same time it might be stupid going into it as a maiden.

“He handled Goodwood pretty well on debut and he ran well at Ascot when I didn’t think he was at his best. He proved he handled the undulations at Goodwood and he doesn’t mind soft ground so I thought it was a chance worth taking.”

He went on: “He comes from the same family as Walk In The Park and stayed well, so I’m very pleased with him, especially for the owner.”

Too Soon now has a guaranteed ticket to next year’s Betfred Derby, but whether he has the chance to enhance his reputation this term, or is put away for the winter while connections dream, is still to be decided.

Moore added: “I will see how he is and speak to the owners. Josh and Jamie will sort it out whether he goes again or not. I wouldn’t mind him having one more run, but at the same time I wouldn’t mind him finishing for the year as well.

“He’s going to be hard to place handicap wise now, so we might just have to see how good he is. Obviously he likes a bit of give in the ground and that might be important to him.

“He’s had three runs now, so I wouldn’t care if he had the rest of the season off to allow him to grow a bit – he could do with growing a bit.”

It proved a fine afternoon for the Moore family at Epsom with their 11-4 favourite Miller Spirit also romping to victory in Betfred Apprentices’ Derby Handicap under Alec Voikhansky.