Irish eyes on bumper bonus with Morebattle raider

Irish raider Vischio could put herself in line for a Cheltenham Festival windfall with victory in the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on Saturday.

The eight-year-old has already proved a shrewd purchase by Jack Cantillon on behalf of successful ownership group Syndicates.Racing, having recouped her purchase fee of €52,000 in one fell swoop when making a successful debut for her new connections at the Dublin Racing Festival.

That Leopardstown success was a poignant one for her trainer and rider, Emmet and Danny Mullins, as they became the first members of one of the sport’s most famous families to strike gold in the Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle, a race named after their late grandparents.

Syndicates.Racing bloodstock and racing manager John Bourke said: “It’s been unbelievable really. The day we bought her, we couldn’t really believe how much we got her for, given she was already a Listed winner on the Flat and she came highly recommended by Danny, who had already won a few times on her.

“The syndicate has been up and running for five years plus and every year we’ve tried to lay one out for the Paddy and Maureen Mullins race, but it’s such a hard race to win – even Willie Mullins hasn’t won it, which shows you how difficult it is.

“When we bought this mare, we put the plan in place to run her in it and she gave us one of the most memorable days we’ve had.

“Emmet is an unbelievable target trainer and when he gets a plan like that into his head, there’s no better man to pull it off.”

If Vischio can follow up in this weekend’s £120,000 feature in the Scottish Borders, she would be eligible for a £100,000 bonus if she can then strike gold in any race at Cheltenham, where she holds entries in the Coral Cup, County Hurdle and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle.

With Emmet Mullins having landed the same bonus four years ago with The Shunter, who supplemented Morebattle success with victory over fences in the Festival Plate, Bourke is understandably dreaming that Vischio can repeat the feat.

“The opportunity to run at Kelso presented itself and she has to have a good chance. It’s a good pot and we have that carrot dangling over us to go to Cheltenham and try to do the double,” he added.

“I’ve never been to Kelso and I don’t think I’m going to be able to go this time, but we actually have one Scottish owner who is involved in her, so I think he’s going to be very excited on Saturday!

“As far as Cheltenham goes, I think Emmet has already stated that he thinks the Coral Cup would suit her. That’s our preferred race at the minute, but she has also three options and we’ll get Saturday over and done with first.”

The weights are headed by Alan King’s Favour And Fortune, who landed the Scottish Champion Hurdle last spring and has turned in two creditable efforts in competitive handicaps so far this season.

He finished fourth in the newly-named William Hill Hurdle at Newbury three weeks ago and his Scottish-born trainer is hopeful of another positive showing.

King said: “I hope he’ll run well as I think within reason, he’s going to get his ground. I’d imagine it will dry out a little bit looking at the forecast and he’s been running awfully well for the last two winters on ground he doesn’t really want.

“I was very happy with him at Newbury and I think he’s really come forward since then. He had a hold-up in the autumn, he needed the run at Ascot first time out and he probably needed Newbury a bit to put him spot-on.”

Gentleman Bill found only the Willie Mullins-trained Jarrive De Mee too strong in his hat-trick bid at Catterick in January and joint-trainer Josh Guerriero believes he has more to give.

He said: “I think he is a big price. It looks competitive, as you’d expect, but he’s in good form and if he hadn’t made a bad mistake at the last at Catterick, it would have been a lot closer.

“I think he’s still fairly unexposed and we go there with a good each-way chance.”