Can "exciting" Myretown bounce back to winning ways?
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Wed 21 Oct 2026
by Ed Watson
Patrick Wadge is set to reprise his partnership with Cheltenham Festival scorer Myretown on Saturday for the first since they routed their rivals in the Ultima Chase more than 18 months ago.
The nine-year-old was tipped as potential Gold Cup dark horse on the back of that bloodless all-the-way triumph last March, and was sent off a 4-1 favourite for the 24-runner Coral Gold Cup on his return to action in November.
However, he crashed out early in the Newbury feature, then failed to build a more promising effort at Haydock next time when a blatant non-stayer over 3m4f in the Merseyside course’s Grand National Trial.
Two tame subsequent efforts - back in the Ultima and then when dropped to 2m4f at Ayr’s Scottish National festival - leave Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore’s chaser with plenty to prove following a trying second season over fences.
Patrick Wadge celebrates aboard Myretown after they routed the opposition on day one of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
With stable No1 Derek Fox heading to Cheltenham to ride classy novice chase prospect Derryhassen Paddy and unbeaten four-year-old Majordomo, Wadge will get the call to step in should Myretown take up his preferred option of Kelso’s £40,000 Edinburgh Gin Chase, rather than joining his stable-mates on the box bound for HQ.
As of Wednesday lunchtime, the Scottish raider was as short as 7-2 favourite for the £100,000 William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase that is the highlight of Cheltenham’s seven-race Saturday card.
Perthshire-based Russell said: “As long as Kelso gets some of the rain that’s forecast, that is Myretown’s intended destination on Saturday.
“We’ve got runners going to Cheltenham as well, so Derek will go there and Patrick will be at Kelso to ride Myretown. Patrick rides him a lot at home and it will be a nice opportunity for both of them.”
Wadge can’t wait to be reunited with his Festival hero after Fox was restored for all five of his runs last season.
The Scot said: “You always hope that you’ll get the chance to ride horses like him again, but I was realistic about that last season.
“Lucinda and Scu and very loyal people. Derek is stable jockey and he’s also had a lot of success for the owners with Ahoy Senor as well as Myretown.
“The thought of getting back on him again is really exciting, especially as he seems to be in great order at home.”
While the son of Dylan Thomas went into last season with a number of potential big-race targets, Russell and Peter Scudamore, her partner and assistant trainer, are making no firm plans this time around.
Scudamore said: “After the way last season went for Myretown, we just want to get him back on the track and hopefully back on track.
“It was a really bad fall that he had at Newbury. In fact, we feared initially that he’d broken a leg.
“He then ran well at Haydock, where he may well have won had he not made a bad mistake late on. But he didn’t stay 3m4f there next time, and then it all just went wrong for him after that.
“So we’re just looking to get Saturday out of the way before we think about anything else. Once we do that then we can look to see where we go.”
Former Champion Conditional Patrick Wadge: “The thought of getting back on him again is really exciting." (Pic: Francesca Altoft - focusonracing.com)
Derryhassen Paddy was third in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in 2025 but has been sighted only once since, when finishing second to Sixmilebridge on his chase debut at Ayr last November.
Injury has kept sidelined for the last 11 months, but the Arlary House outfit are hoping he can make up for lost time this term with his novice status over fences still intact.
Scudamore explained: “Paddy’s fine now. He was a bit quiet for a while when he came back in, but he’s perked up in the last fortnight.
“I know he was beaten at odds-on at Ayr, but it was still a decent run behind a good horse of Fergal O’Brien’s who went on to win his Grade 1 in the Scilly Isles at Sandown.
“I suppose Paddy is also slightly on the comeback trail but we’re still very excited about him.”
Cheltenham Charity Auction
Related posts
Five horses to watch at Cheltenham this week
Dave Nevison's Wednesday tips at Kempton: "he looks very well in"
Saturday ante-post tips: brace of 20-1 chances among five bets
Philip Hobbs and Johnson White 2026-27 Jumps season stable tour
Racing TV's presenters' 2026-27 Jumps horses to follow
Todays top offer
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets + Money Back as a Free Bet if 2nd to SP Fav with BOYLE Sports
T&Cs Apply
18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. T&C's apply. 18+. IRE/NI & UK online only. Max Free Bet £/€10. Win or win part of e/w outright singles. 5+ runners. 1st bet on each race. Free/void/antepost bets don't qualify. In event of a dead heat, offer won’t apply. Applies to First Past the Post result. Unnamed 2nd Favs don’t qualify. Acc & Payment restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.
Claim Now
Featured offers
Bet £10 get £30 in Free Bets with talkSPORT BET
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
New Customers. Opt in, deposit and bet £10+ on any horse racing markets within 7 days of sign up. Get 3 x £10 Free Bets for set horse racing markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. 18+ GambleAware
Get 50% back up to £50 with QuinnBet
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
New UK Customers Only. Bet £10+ on any sportsbook markets at odds of evens (2.00) or greater. Get 50% back of your first day’s losses as a Free Bet up to £50, valid for 7 days. 18+ GambleAware.
Bet £20 and Get £40 in Free Bets with Unibet
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
18+. GambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Min £20 debit card or instant banking transfer deposit. Place a £20+ bet on Horse Racing at min odds 2/5 (1.4) each leg for 4x £10 Free Bets (can be used on Racing Bet Builder). Claim within 30 days. Valid for Horse Racing only. Geographical restrictions and Further T&C’s apply
Bet £10 get £40 in free bets with Kwiff
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
New UK customers. Place a £10 real money bet at min. 2.0 odds within 5 days of deposit. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 Single, 2 Accas & 1 Bet Builder (min. 3 selections each). Excludes cashout, E/W, Multis, Ineligible Markets & Odds Boosts. Credited after bet settlement. 7-day expiry. T&Cs apply. 18+ GambleAware
Copyright 2026 Racing TV - All Rights Reserved.
Please bet responsibly
Copyright 2026. All rights reserved