The £100,000 bonus on offer if the winner of Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso can follow up in any race at the Cheltenham festival has turned what is already the richest handicap hurdle in Scotland into one of the most interesting and competitive events in the immediate run-up to National Hunt’s showpiece meeting, and several of the sharpest trainers in the business have runners towards the head of the market for Saturday’s renewal.
He ran an eye-catching race to finish fourth in Newbury’s ultra-competitive William Hill Hurdle last time, will race off the same mark on Saturday and had enough class to finish sixth in last year’s Supreme Novice Hurdle.
Doncaster 2.40 It has been stop-start for Tommy’s Oscar since has last win in April 2024, but even under top weight he could still have enough ability to be competitive over a track and trip where he was a convincing winner off just a 3lb lower mark earlier the same season.
Mullins relies this year on the mare Vischio, who joined the yard after winning a competitive race at Punchestown in November and followed up on her first start for her new trainer in a stronger race at the Dublin Racing Festival.
She showed an abrupt turn of foot to go five lengths clear at Leopardstown and given her trainer’s well-earned reputation for priming a handicapper, it is no surprise to see her installed as the favourite in the early betting, not least as Mullins has gone to the trouble of entering her in three handicap hurdles at the festival.
