Morebattle Hurdle – Bonus hunting!

If you win the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso and ANY race at the Cheltenham Festival you win a £100,000 bonus. Looking at the entries for the Morebattle, here are 3 horses that could be trying to do just that.

Mctigue

Mctigue is very interesting. He’s been given a rating of 142 in the Morebattle Hurdle and has entries in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, Coral Cup, Triumph Hurdle & Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle. This is very reminiscent of The Shunter who had entries left, right and centre when he completed the double for Emmet Mullins.

Looking at his form, I think he does have the form to go and do this double. His win at Sedgefield on his stable debut was very impressive albeit beating very little but his 2nd run and win at Auteuil is the piece of form that looks very strong and ‘better than a handicapper’ form. He beat St Donats in a Grade 2 Hurdle with the pair well clear. They reopposed a month later when St Donats won and Mctigue was a long way back however he tried to chase St Donats for most of the way before diving down the inside in the final straight. Just looking visually you can see down the inside was the slowest part of the track and all the others including the winner came down the nearside. I feel this may have been, if not going to win, don’t get close. He has since returned to Leopardstown for a Grade 1 and ran a nothing race finishing 9th of 11 but he simply dropped away on the final bend. I can’t believe this was his true running at all.

Obviously connections have already won this double with The Shunter who won at Kelso after being beaten at Leopardstown before stepping up in trip for the Coral Cup and I think stepping up in trip is something they would do here. He has form of up to 1m6f on the flat suggesting 2 1/2 mile will be even better for him. If he wins at Kelso, he would have a penalty to carry but instead of going to the Coral Cup, I think he’ll end up in the Martin Pipe which is a 0-145.

Interestingly the last horse aged 4 to run in either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe was Indian Daudaie who finished 4th in the Martin Pipe after finishing 5th at Leopardstown. The winning rider in the Martin Pipe that day was Emmet Mullins on Sir Des Champs who came back the following year to win again whilst the 2nd won the Coral Cup the year before. 3rd was First Point who had been running well in many different feature handicaps. I’m surprised no other trainers have tried to take advantage of the huge weight allowance 4 year olds get!

Current prices:

Boodles @ 16/1

Coral @ 25/1

Triumph @ 100/1

Martin Pipe @ 12/1

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Colonel Mustard

Colonel Mustard finished 3rd in the County Hurdle last year behind State Man & First Street and would have arguably finished 2nd if he didn’t hang. First Street was rated and is now rated 152, whilst State Man was rated 141 and now rated 167* . You could therefore argue off just a 3lb higher mark (Colonel Mustard is rated 143 for the Morebattle) that Colonel Mustard would have a big chance in the County Hurdle.

The County Hurdle is worth £50k, the Morebattle Hurdle is also worth £50k with a £100k bonus if you win them both. With that in mind, the trainer has to work out how much prestige is worth. Waiting for the County thinking you have a great chance and potentially missing a great chance in the Morebattle would be a risk as that’s very much ‘putting all eggs in one basket’. Granted if he won the Morebattle, winning the County would be harder again under a penalty but it’s a win and £50k in the pocket.

His form since finishing 3rd in the County Hurdle was a 7th in a Grade 1 over 2 1/2 mile and then 2 defeats over fences. Unlike McTigue though, if Colonel Mustard does win the Morebattle, you know where he’s running next as he only has an entry in the County Hurdle.

*Irish Handicap Mark

Current Prices:

Colonel Mustard @ 25/1

Faivoir

On known form, Faivoir is the most obvious one for this race but it’s unclear if the bonus is something that’s achievable. He’s been to this race twice and finished 3rd in 2021 to The Shunter beaten just 6 lengths off 143 and then 3rd again last year beaten just 2 lengths off 143. This year if allowed to take his chance he’s rated just 134. He would surely run a big race against ‘normal’ handicapped horses and would look the one to beat.

After being beaten in 2021 he skipped Cheltenham altogether and won 4 of his next 5 races in Novice events (hurdles and fences). Last year he did contest the County Hurdle and finished 11th, beaten 12 lengths off 143. Although he would still be lower in the handicap even with a penalty, would that be enough to win a competitive County Hurdle? I’m not so sure.

Faivoir @ 40/1

Martin Pipe @ 33/1