Authorised Speed

The headline fact about this horse is what he can do on wet ground. On soft or muddy going, he has won 3 of his 6 races — that is 50%, meaning he wins every other time conditions suit him. That is a dramatic difference from his overall record and tells you something important: when it rains, Authorised Speed becomes a different animal. His trainer Gary Moore, based at Lower Beeding in West Sussex alongside son Josh, has clearly identified this, and the yard's decision to target stiff, longer tracks over two and a half miles suggests they know exactly what kind of race brings the best out of him.

His relationship with Sandown Park borders on obsession. Two wins from four races there, including a Class 2 victory in December 2022, makes it his personal playground. Class 2 is one of the better races on the British calendar — not quite the absolute top tier, but the level where serious horses prove themselves. The problem is that when stepped up into Class 1, the very best company, he has come away empty-handed in all six attempts. That gap — brilliant at one level, unable to crack the next — is the central tension of his career.

And then there is the partnership with jockey Jamie Moore, Gary's son. Four wins from seven races together works out to 57%, or winning well over half the time they have teamed up. That is a remarkable number and hints at something beyond tactics — a horse that trusts one rider, or a rider who simply understands this particular animal.

What makes Authorised Speed a horse worth watching is not what he has done, but what may still be coming. Josh Moore has spoken openly about a fall that derailed his chase debut just when he looked like winning, followed by a run at a track that did not suit. The yard clearly believes there is more to come over fences. Whether he returns after 23 months away looking like the horse they remember is the only question left to answer.