Colonel Mustard - out to prove stamina

Howden Long Walk Hurdle: Colonel Mustard faces stamina test

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Fri December 19, 2025 · 4h ago

Lorna Fowler is going into the unknown with her stable star Colonel Mustard in Saturday’s Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

The remarkable ten-year-old heads into the Grade One contest off the back of wins at Sligo and Navan this season but has only run once over this trip once in his career when fifth behind Teahupoo at Punchestown in May.

The trainer told Friday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “That’s my question but we very much took the view that by going for Lismullen Hurdle, which is two miles four but Navan takes some serious getting, and on heavy ground, we were of the opinion that if he runs well there then that’s a good benchmark to say we’ll go with a fighting chance over three miles at Ascot.

“I’m not saying Ascot doesn’t take a bit of getting but Navan on heavy ground is a different ball game.

“So there is a bit of a question mark, of course there is, but I think he’ll stay. Johnny Shinnick has ridden for him for his last two wins and he’s very confident the horse will stay. I think he will but can’t definitively say he will so there has to be a little bit of a question mark.

“Johnny still claims three pounds which I can’t use as I couldn’t at Navan but if you have a winning partnership you have to stick with it.”