Top-weight Goshen is on course to run in the £105,000 G3 Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot this Saturday but the odds on the Sportsbook indicate that he has his work cut out to win.
Gary Moore's stable star is chasing a piece of history in the near two-mile handicap, with no top-weight having been successful since the race was first run at Ascot in 2001.
Goshen is a 9/1 chance on the Betfair Sportsbook, with the market headed by the Nicky Henderson-trained No Ordinary Joe at 4/1.
If the favourite is successful he will give Henderson a record fifth success in the race, following Chauvinist, Jack The Giant, Sentry Duty and Brain Power.
Ground should suit Goshen
Goshen burst on to the scene as a juvenile hurdler two seasons ago and posted his best performance so far in Wincanton's G2 Kingwell Hurdle in February, when he trounced Song For Someone by 22 lengths.After struggling behind Honeysuckle at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals, the five-year-old finished fourth on his seasonal return in the G2 Coral Hurdle at Ascot on 20 November.
Moore said: "The plan is to run Goshen this weekend. We have obviously spoken about the Christmas Hurdle, but I think the ground is going to be more suitable for him at Ascot than Kempton.
"We'll go to Ascot, see what happens, and then we can take a view on Kempton afterwards. It is unlikely he will do both but we'll take it one race at a time.
The race is one of the highlights on day two of Ascot's Howden Christmas Racing Weekend which also features the Long Walk Hurdle which currently sees Buzz as favourite at 7/4.
Other leading contenders among the 16 entries for the Betfair Exchange Trophy include G3 Greatwood Handicap Hurdle victor West Cork 9/2 and Samarrive 5/1.
The latter bolted up in a Listed handicap hurdle at Sandown Park earlier this month.
Luttrell Lad and Onemorefortheroad 8/1 are also both shorter in the betting than Goshen.
Betfair Exchange Trophy
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