Gary Moore hopes to repay the owner who loaned him the use of his helicopter so he could visit his seriously ill son in hospital by winning Saturday’s Tolworth Hurdle with Authorised Speed at Sandown.
Josh Moore spent several months in hospital in Liverpool after a fall at Haydock left him in a critical condition. He broke his leg, several ribs, suffered a punctured lung and damaged his lower back then picked up a life-threatening infection, which left him in a coma and on a ventilator to help him breathe.
Moore jnr recovered and is now assisting his father at his Sussex stables but, without the kindness of Kent civil engineer Pat Gallagher, owner of Authorised Speed, the family would have struggled to make the regular 500-mile round trip to Merseyside.
“Pat is an unbelievable man and he was so helpful when Josh was in hospital,” said Moore. “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 One winner would be fantastic.”
Authorised Speed finished fifth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and has won both starts over hurdles this season, including last time out at Sandown.
“Pat has had a few flat horses with me before and he is very grateful for everything you give him, but a Grade One winner really would put the icing on the cake as a way of thanks.”
