The £100,000 bonus available for any horse that wins the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso and then follows up at the Cheltenham Festival has transformed this already valuable Scottish handicap hurdle into a key prelude to National Hunt racing’s biggest event. With that incentive in place, some of the sharpest trainers in the business have sent strong contenders for Saturday’s renewal, ensuring a fiercely competitive race.
Among those trainers is Emmet Mullins, known for his shrewd handling of handicappers, particularly after his success with The Shunter in 2021, who won this race before landing the Plate at Cheltenham just weeks later. This year, Mullins is represented by Vischio, a mare who switched to his yard after winning at Punchestown in November. She then impressed on her first outing for her new trainer at the Dublin Racing Festival, producing an eye-catching turn of foot to surge five lengths clear at Leopardstown.
With entries in three different handicap hurdles at Cheltenham, her trainer clearly sees her as a horse capable of taking advantage of the festival bonus. However, her last two wins came off ratings of 111 and 119, and she now finds herself competing off a significantly higher mark of 133. While it is possible she could still be ahead of the handicapper, the competitive nature of this race and her short price in the betting market suggest there may be better value elsewhere.
Tellherthename and Alnilam offer alternative options at longer odds, but both are potential front-runners in a race already packed with pace. This could set things up perfectly for Favour And Fortune, trained by Alan King, who is entered in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. He produced a strong performance when finishing fourth in the ultra-competitive William Hill Hurdle at Newbury last time and will race off the same mark on Saturday. Having shown enough class to finish sixth in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, he looks well-placed to capitalize if the early leaders go too hard.
In the opening race at Kelso (1.10), Kidman could be worth following after a wind operation since his chasing debut. He traveled well in his last outing before weakening late, and this improvement could make all the difference. At Newbury (1.20), Quick Wave is an interesting contender in the veterans’ race, having performed well fresh in the past despite returning from a long layoff.
Kelso’s 1.45 race sees Grey Dawning and Iroko face off, with the former looking like the safer bet to bounce back from a below-par showing in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day. At Doncaster (2.05), World Of Fortunes drops back to Listed level after finding Grade One company too demanding at Leopardstown last time, making her the one to beat.
Kelso’s 2.20 could offer an each-way opportunity in Young Jack, a horse that runs well at this track. With William Maggs taking off a useful 5lb and early odds around 20-1, he represents decent value.
Later in the day, Tommy’s Oscar runs in the 2.40 at Doncaster. His form has been inconsistent since his last win in April 2024, but he has strong course and distance form, having won convincingly off just 3lb lower earlier in the season.
At Kelso (2.55), Laganhill is one of several unbeaten hurdlers in the field but, as a late starter who only made his racecourse debut in December 2024, he could continue to make rapid progress. Over at Doncaster (3.15), Twig returns to chasing for the first time this season, with Beau Morgan’s 5lb claim giving him a useful edge.
Finally, in the 3.45 at Newbury, Prince Quali looks overpriced at around 16-1. He has a chance to redeem himself after an uncharacteristic fall last time and could prove to be a value pick.
