Kelso preview: Colonel Mustard out for £100,000 bonus
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Colonel Mustard (right) was third behind State Man at Cheltenham last year (Photo: Focusonracing)
Colonel Mustard will aim to snaffle the huge carrot of a £100,000 bonus for any horse who wins the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on Saturday and follows up at the Cheltenham Festival.
Third in last year’s County Hurdle, the Lorna Fowler-trained eight-year-old is one of two Irish raiders who line up for the competitive two-mile handicap.
He returns to hurdling, having had two runs over fences, the last of which saw him finish runner-up to Arkle favourite El Fabiolo over two miles at Fairyhouse.
County Meath-based Fowler said: “We were going to go for the Betfair Hurdle. That was very much the big plan, but the ground was no good at Newbury.
“We thought we could go straight for the County Hurdle, but with the bonus on offer it made sense to have a go. It is a great carrot. It is a very hard carrot to get your hands on, but it has to be worth a go.
“He is very lightly-raced this year, so is a really fresh horse. He has travelled before, so every box was ticked to have a go. The plan is to go to the County afterwards, if all is well.
“The ground is perfect for him, but it will be perfect for everybody else. At the moment, everything is positive.”
Emmet Mullins won this race two years ago with The Shunter, who went on to secure the bonus when taking the Paddy Power Plate at the Festival.
Emmet Mullins has already won the Morebattle and is eyeing several Festival targets with McTigue (Photo: The Jockey Club)
He saddles Mctigue, who has won two of his four starts over hurdles, including a Grade Two contest at Auteuil, since joining the yard from Jim Bolger.
“We are not the only ones after the bonus,” said Mullins. “He is in good form and we’ll get that race out of the way before thinking about the Festival.
“We have different options there. In England, you run off the weight you are allotted, so that is against us for the Festival. That might narrow our options.
“Even if he wins the Morebattle, he won’t carry a penalty in the Boodles, so he can’t go above 11st 12lb, so that’s another angle for him.
“He has a hardiness and experience for a young horse. He was a two-year-old Flat winner and a very precocious horse and has taken to the jumps very well.”
The British challenge is spearheaded by L’Eau Du Sud, who threw down a strong challenge in the latter stages of a two-mile Kempton handicap over Christmas, only to make a blunder at the last and finish third to No Ordinary Joe.
Dan Skelton is not eyeing the Morebattle Hurdle bonus
Trainer Dan Skelton is not eyeing the bonus, however.
He said: “He ran nicely. He’s next year’s chaser. It is obviously a highly competitive race, but I’m very happy with him and I’d give him a little chance.
“He’s not in anything at Cheltenham. The Morebattle is the right race for him. He is a young horse. I don’t want go again that quickly. A bonus is only a bonus if you can win it – and I don’t think we can.
“If we can win the Morebattle, I’ll be very happy. I don’t have to follow up at Cheltenham for it to be worthwhile.”
Gary Moore’s Teddy Blue will make an 800-mile round trip from his West Sussex yard in search of a second win over hurdles.
Joshua Moore hopes Teddy Blue will handle the travelling
Placed on his last two attempts in Grade Three company, including when third to Aucunrisque in the Betfair Hurdle, assistant trainer Joshua Moore is hopeful he will handle the long journey.
He said: “He ran well last time. He seems well at home. It is a long way to travel, but it just depends on how he travels up there.
“He is in the County and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as well. Which one he will run in, I’m not sure.
“It is a big prize and well worth going up there for.”
Last year’s winner Cormier returns for Brian Ellison, having had two unsuccessful chase starts this term.
Ellison said: “We will go back chasing next year. He would have finished closer in the County last year (when seventh), but for being squeezed out coming up the rail.
“He’s in good form, in fine fettle and always runs his race – he’s tough. He was only a cheap horse and he’s done well.
“He won’t be going to the County. We will probably go to the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock.
“He finished second in the Swinton a couple of years ago and got brought down in it last year. He has run well in it and there are other races to run in as well.”
The Shunter seeking Premier renaissance
The Shunter struck on this card two years ago (Photo: Focusonracing)
The Shunter takes on four rivals in the bet365 Premier Chase with trainer Emmet Mullins hoping he can return to something like his best.
Two years ago, the JP McManus-owned gelding took the Morebattle Hurdle on his way to landing a £100,000 bonus for following up with a win in the Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Subsequently runner-up in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree, his form has been patchy since, winning just once in 11 starts.
Mullins feels the 10-year-old, who has been given a break since finishing fourth of 20 in a two-mile Naas Flat handicap in November, is nicely handicapped on his return to the Scottish track.
“These races are all hard to win, but it looks a good spot for him,” said Mullins.
“Fingers crossed he can run his race. Let’s hope he can repeat the magic.”
Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos is favourite to land the Listed contest and complete a hat-trick for the Dan Skelton yard.
Le Milos and jockey Harry Skelton (centre) bid to follow up their Coral Gold Cup victory
He has not run since taking the race formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup and runs off a 6lb higher mark, albeit in a slightly weaker contest.
Skelton said: “We could not have been more delighted with his run at Newbury.
“We understandably gave him a bit of time off to get over that, and this looked an obvious spot for him.
“He is fresh and well and we are hopeful that he will run well.”
Sandy Thomson has the Scottish National in mind for Empire Steel should he bounce back to his best on a track he likes.
The nine-year-old has won two and finished runner-up on his three starts at Kelso, although the Berwickshire handler is happy to draw a line under his two runs this season, as his horses were not firing.
He said: “Obviously the horses didn’t look like they were right just after Christmas, which was frustrating.
“Hopefully, we have got them sorted out and he will bounce back and run his race.
“He likes Kelso, it will suit him. It is a very funny race, because if you look historically, some of the winners have never won another race.
“It is a funny kind of race, because you get some horses who are looking at it as a prep for the National or something and that is more important than winning the Premier Chase.
“But if he bounces back and runs a nice race, we’ll be delighted and the Scottish National would be in the offing if he did.”
Wishing And Hoping caused a 50-1 shock at Sandown last time
Shropshire trainer Mel Rowley feels she has nothing to lose by running Wishing And Hoping following his 50-1 shock win in the Veterans’ Chase Series Final at Sandown.
The consistent 13-year-old has won five and finished runner-up on as many occasions in his 18 chase starts, and showed plenty of zest when accounting for Ramses De Teillee last time.
Rowley said: “He is very, very well and we thought ‘why not’, as we are slightly restricted where we can go with him.
“This seemed a good a place as any, as there are only five in it. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“I suppose we might have the advantage, as if our horse never won a race again, because of his age, it wouldn’t matter.
“His last run is what dreams are made of. That’s why we do it, isn’t it?”
Zanza brought up Philip Hobbs’ 3,000th winner when beating Hitman by seven lengths in the Grade Two Denman Chase at Newbury three weeks ago.
Should he not take up his first preference, which is in the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap at Newbury, he will complete the line-up.
Colonel Harry out for Premier Novices' prize
Tolworth Hurdle form is on the line at Kelso on Saturday. Tahmuras won the Grade One race in early January (Photo: Dan Abraham / focusonracing.com)
Colonel Harry will bid to give the Tolworth Hurdle form a boost when he lines up in the Grade Two bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle.
Jamie Snowden’s six-year-old won a heavy-ground Sandown maiden hurdle in November before finishing fourth in the Grade One Tolworth over the same course and distance.
Though he jumped left on occasions, finishing six and a quarter lengths behind Tahmuras, he backed up that promising run with an eight-length success in a Newcastle novice.
Back up in class, he again takes on Nemean Lion, who was two and three-quarter lengths ahead of him in third at Sandown.
Snowden said: “It is a competitive race, but obviously our lad has won two novice hurdles and he ran very well at Sandown, when he jumped slightly out to his left, in the Tolworth.
“That probably looks the best form coming into this and Nemean Lion was only just in front of us that day, so hopefully a reproduction of that form on a left-handed track might see him to better effect.
“He is a nice horse, but I hope the ground is what they say it is. He definitely wants softer ground – he wouldn’t want good ground.”
Accidental Rebel goes in search of a fifth win in six and will carry top weight, shouldering a penalty for landing Chepstow’s Grade Two Persian War Novices’ Hurdle when equipped with first-time cheekpieces on his previous start.
The headgear remains and trainer Fergal O’Brien is hopeful he will be fresh for his first run in 148 days.
He said: “He has done very well and we gave him a break after he won the Persian War.
“We had him back in for the Challow, but the ground went bottomless, so we have been waiting ever since to get a bit of decent ground.
“Hopefully he will run well. I see the ground has gone soft up there, but hopefully it won’t get too soft for him.”
Dan Skelton is looking to the future with Hoe Joly Smoke, who has finished placed on both starts over hurdles at Chepstow, latterly when third to the unbeaten Doyen Star.
“He ran a nice race at Chepstow,” said Skelton. “He’s in at the deep end, but if he finished nicely in this, he’s had three good runs over hurdles without losing his novice status and he’d be a maiden for next year.
“Then he’ll be one of the higher-rated, more experienced ones of that pack.”
Lookaway has schooled well under Jack Quinlan
Lookaway was unbeaten in two bumpers for Neil King, including a Grade Two contest at Aintree in April last year.
He has had two subsequent starts over hurdles and has yet to deliver on last season’s promise, but King retains plenty of confidence in his charge as he returns from a three-month break.
He said: “I’m looking forward to see him running – it has been a long time.
“On his bumper form he’s over-priced, but on what he has achieved over hurdles on his first two starts, he isn’t.
“But we had a rotten middle part of the season. My horses were badly out of form, so we have just given them all the time needed to come right. They now seem back in good order.
“Two-miles-two on what sounds like beautiful jumping ground around Kelso should be ideal for him. We’re looking forward to seeing him getting back to his best.
“Jack (Quinlan) came and schooled him the other day and he jumped electrically, so we are very much looking forward to it.”
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