Saturday sees the biggest meeting of the year at Kelso, as the Scottish Borders track stages a cracking seven-race card. The Grade 2 Premier Novices’ Hurdle tops the bill from a class perspective and has attracted an intriguing 10-runner field headed by an Irish raider from the yard of Willie Mullins. Earlier in the afternoon, one-time Gold Cup hope Grey Dawning locks horns with leading Grand National fancy Iroko in the bet365 Premier Chase.
The aforementioned contests are two of only three Kelso events rated at Listed level or above. However, in terms of the prize money on offer and betting interest, both are in the shade of the big handicap highlight of the Morebattle Hurdle.
Cheltenham Bonus up for Grabs
First run in 1984, this Class 2 handicap takes place over the two-mile trip, with eight flights of hurdles standing between the field and a share of the £120,000 in guaranteed prize money. Stand out names on the roll of honour include The Shunter and the Grade 1-winning duo of Peddlers Cross and Simonsig.
The proximity of the race to the Cheltenham Festival may deter some connections from sending their runners north ahead of a trip to Prestbury Park. However, a large carrot may help overcome such trepidation. And that is provided here, because any horse who wins the Morebattle Hurdle and goes on to win any race at that year’s Cheltenham Festival will receive a £100,000 bonus.
Maximum Field Assembles for 2025 Edition
With significant prize money and the prospect of further riches up for grabs, the Morebattle Hurdle is unsurprisingly one of the most popular National Hunt handicaps of the season. Such is the case in 2025, with the race attracting a maximum field of 18 – 13 of whom hold an entry at the Cheltenham Festival.
Mullins to Bag Bonus Again?
Just the one Irish runner features amongst the final entries, but it is she who heads the market. Formerly based with R Donahoe, Vischio only joined the Emmet Mullins operation in January. However, she has taken little time to acclimatise at the yard of the Grand National-winning trainer, with her first appearance for Mullins seeing him hack by 5l in a Listed event at Leopardstown.
Mullins won this for the first time with The Shunter in 2021, with that JP McManus-owned runner going on to claim the £100,000 bonus when powering to a 3l success in the Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Trading as the general 5/1 favourite for the 2025 edition, Vischio holds entries in the Coral Cup, County Hurdle, and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at this year’s festival.
Hailing from such a shrewd yard, clearly targeting the bonus, and bringing strong recent form to the table, it is easy to see the punting appeal of Vischio. However, the eight-year-old mare is far from the only interesting runner in the field. If we are to believe the betting market, the following contenders may be her biggest dangers on the day.
- Tellherthename – With three of his six starts under rules coming in Grade 1 company, this six-year-old must show plenty at home. He is yet to score at that level but should find this significantly easier than chasing the tail of Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle on his most recent outing
- Favour And Fortune – Top weight will not make life easy for this Hemmings Racing runner but the son of Soldier Of Fortune has long been held in high regard by Alan King. Successful in the 2024 Champion Hurdle, could he grab another big race success north of the border?
- Cracking Rhapsody – The 2024 champ makes the trip up from the Welsh yard of Ewan Williams as he bids to defend his crown. A winner of three of five starts at Kelso, he is 13lb higher than for last year’s win, but only 5lb higher than when scoring over course and distance in December
- Florida Dreams – An impressive winner of the Grade 2 Bumper at the Aintree Grand National Meeting in 2023, this Nicky Richards runner has not yet delivered on that potential. However, he has faced some tough tasks and suggested he may be coming back to form at Musselburgh earlier in the month
- Petrol Head – This ex-Irish runner boasts the unusual record of earning a disqualification in each of his first 10 career outings – through no fault his own, but rather an issue with his ownership. Recent efforts have seen him replace those “DSQs” with “1s”. A perfect two from two with Miss Katy Brown in Ireland, he makes his first appearance for Neil Mulholland here
Will the sole Irish runner conquer his 17 English, Scottish, and Welsh rivals en route to a spot of big-bonus hunting at Cheltenham?