Many remember very fondly a perfect plan coming together in 2021 when The Shunter landed a £100,000 Cheltenham Festival bonus. Now, trainer Emmet Mullins is at it again.
His Vischio, a winner at the recent Dublin Racing Festival, has appeared among the entries for this weekend’s Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso and the races promises to be a belter.
The two-mile handicap, worth a total of £120,000, is a prize worth fighting for in its own right. In fact, it’s Scotland’s richest hurdle but there is also another £100,000 bonus up for grabs for any horse who can win this and then follow up at the Cheltenham Festival.
Mullins is not the only one taking square aim at this bonus either. A cluster of other horses have been nominated on Saturday as well as holding festival entries next month.
Mullins Star Heads the Betting
Emmet Mullins’ Vischio has been inserted as the early 4/1 favourite for the Morebattle, but things are close at the top.
Jonjo & AJ O’Neill’s Tellherthename is close in at 11/2, just ahead of another County Hurdle entry Favour And Fortune (Alan King) at 7’s. These are the early odds, with any Cheltenham Festival entries listed:
| Horse | Odds | Cheltenham Entries |
|---|---|---|
| Vischio | 4/1 | County Hurdle |
| Tellherthename | 11/2 | County Hurdle |
| Favour And Fortune | 7/1 | County Hurdle |
| Cracking Rhapsody | 8/1 | County Hurdle |
| Jurancon | 10/1 | TBC |
| Slugger | 12/1 | County Hurdle |
| Florida Dreams | 12/1 | County Hurdle |
| Alnilam | 14/1 | County Hurdle |
| Petrol Head | 14/1 | Coral Cup, Martin Pipe, County Hurdle |
Of the horses on this list, only David Pipe’s six-year-old Jurancon is not eligible to head to Cheltenham and fight for a bonus. As the 10/1 fifth favourite he’s clearly not out of this, but you’d feel others are being prepared to peak right now in order to go for this £61,000 first prize, a similar purse in the County Hurdle and the £100k bonus.
Vischio & Slugger Heading the County Hurdle Candidates
Of the horses entered on Saturday, the shortest priced runners as of now for the County Hurdle are Vischio and Slugger at 14/1. Alnilam, Favour And Fortune, Petrol Head, Slugger and Tellherthename are next at around 20/1.
Petrol Head is also entered in the Coral Cup for which he is also a 25/1 shot, as well as the closing Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. He is currently 33/1 for that event.
Favour And Fortune
Running in the famous Hemmings Colours, Favour And Fortune is interesting but may not be the best handicapped horse in the race. Scheduled to carry topweight, the seven-year-old won at Ayr last April but has had just the two runs this term.
Tellherthename
Tellherthename has had just the one run since joining the O’Neills from Ben Pauling’s yard. That run was an ambitious one, taking part in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
He finished 14 lengths behind Sir Gino that time which is a solid run and certainly do better now.
Alnilam
Olly Murphy’s runner comes into this as a last-time-out winner, but it’s hard to say he’s improving quickly. It’s decent form, but it may not be the kind of form needed to win this unless he can take a sudden step forward.
Vischio
This is the talking horse, but another big slice of improvement is needed from Emmet Mullins’ horse at these weights. Of course, that can come, and many will back him for a trainer who knows the time of day.
The point here is that Vischio has won his last two races easily and so there is no doubt that some improvement is forthcoming.
Cracking Rhapsody
Ewan Whillans’ horse won over this course and distance two runs ago. That could be significant as it was also this horse’s best career performance. Handicap wise, there are no guarantees that he has weight in hand which is typical for this race.
Slugger
Since moving to Harry Derham, Slugger is unbeaten in three runs. That sort of run has to end at some point, but he is one of few horses we know is ahead of the handicapper and that’s huge.
Wins at Carlisle, Doncaster and Musselburgh have been achieved with the minimum of fuss. He’s up to a mark of 130 now but that might not be enough to stop him.
The Verdict
Frankly, Vischio is not the best handicapped horse in this race right now, but he cannot be ruled out. Improvement has been recorded, and we don’t know when that will stop.
The one with even more in hand right now however is SLUGGER who is more attractive at around 12/1. He is also in the County Hurdle with connections eyeing that bonus.