The Shunter was one of the easiest Irish-trained handicap winners at the 2021 Festival

Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso offers £100,000 Cheltenham Festival bonus

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Mon February 24, 2025 · 10M ago

The Cheltenham Festival bonus adds a 'fun' dimension to what is a relatively quiet time in the build-up to the March showpiece.

There have been a few iterations over the years, some more immediate than others.

The Betfair Imperial Cup is the most famous and one of the longest-established 'bonus' races but there have been other incentives with Plumpton offering a bonus for any Festival winner that had won at their track earlier in the season, while the Betfair Million was awarded if the winner of the Betfair Chase went on to win both the King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

They are, of course, famously hard to win.

Voy Por Ustedes did collect from Plumpton (there may have been others), while the Imperial Cup coffers have been cleaned out on three occasions by Martin and David Pipe courtesy of Olympian (1993 Coral Cup), Blowing Wind (1998 County Hurdle) and Gaspara (2007 Fred Winter).

There aren't currently many trainers with a better 'target' reputation than Dan Skelton whose Langer Dan went close in 2021, following up his Sandown success with second at Cheltenham six days later.

One rival to Skelton is Emmet Mullins who so happened to land the Kelso bonus with The Shunter, that one following up his Morebattle Hurdle success in fair style when reverting to chasing in the Festival Plate at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021.

We Have A Dream won the last running of the Morebattle Hurdle as a conditions race at 1/4 in 2019 before running second in the County Hurdle and the closing day handicap is a more natural destination for the winner of the Kelso contest.

There have been four renewals of the Morebattle under its current guise as a handicap and since The Shunter obliged, Cormier (33/1) finished seventh in the County Hurdle while Benson (11/) stepped up in trip for the Coral Cup but was pulled-up.

Colonel Mustard finished second to Benson and went on to fill the same spot in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and that was the route taken last year by Cracking Rhapsody, who took third at Ayr behind Favour And Fortune and the Willie Mullins-trained Bialystok.

Cracking Rhapsody and Cormier are both in the running for another crack at the valuable prize this weekend and both hold entries at Cheltenham, as do a number of their potential rivals but the obvious starting point is Vischio who hails from the same yard as The Shunter.

VISCHIO (County Hurdle)

Made a winning debut for Mullins at the DRF when scooting clear in a mares' handicap with the trainer revealing that "it was all about today; Jack and Danny were buying her for this race and this race alone" which doesn't scream 'plan' when it comes to the Morebattle bonus. She's also a stone higher in the handicap.

FAVOUR AND FORTUNE (County Hurdle)

The Scottish Champion Hurdle winner has had a light campaign after a setback and stepped up from his belated reappearance to run fourth at Newbury on ground that was arguably softer than ideal. Only 2lbs higher than at Ayr and conditions are currently forecast faster than in Berkshire so he looks a player here but he's always been given time between his races and isn't an obvious candidate for the bonus.

TELLHERTHENAME (County Hurdle)

Talented novice for Ben Pauling but restricted to one start for his new training team when fourth in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle won by Sir Gino. Has plenty of potential but also some questions to answer. Tuesday morning's media visit to Jackdaws Castle may reveal more. Or not.

ALNILAM (County Hurdle)

Showed the benefit of a wind-op when winning a decent race at Southwell but this dual course winner will have his work cut out to win this race, let alone both.

CRACKING RHAPSODY (County Hurdle)

Last year's winner is 13lbs higher and has struggled in valuable handicaps at Cheltenham and Windsor this season although gained a third Kelso success (from five attempts) in between. More dangerous in Scotland than Gloucestershire.

MILLDAM (County Hurdle)

"He wants two miles and a flat, galloping track, but the ground is the key," said jockey Gavin Sheehan after the pair won at Haydock on heavy ground in December. Move on.

AUCUNRISQUE (County Hurdle)

Missed last season's County Hurdle on account of the ground and well held on soft at Newbury last time. Tough campaigner but not a bonus contender.

PETROL HEAD (Coral Cup, County Hurdle, Martin Pipe)

Had a decent time of things in Ireland but hard to know what to make of him starting out for Neil Mulholland having not been sighted since July when winning off 117; will line-up off 130 if taking his chance here and his early walk in the market isn't encouraging.

SLUGGER (County Hurdle)

Fifth in last year's renewal for his former stable and looks an improved horse having won all three starts for Harry Derham. The C&D winner is on the upgrade although this is tougher and isn't an obvious Festival winner.

FLORIDA DREAMS (County Hurdle)

Won three of his first four starts but has plateaued and handicapper has a hold.

CORMIER (Coral Cup, County Hurdle, Martin Pipe)

His last jumps win came in this race in 2022 but the handicapper has given him a chance as he's 10lb lower. Running well enough on the flat and his hurdling reappearance was entitled to be needed. Has run respectably at Cheltenham, winning once, but always at around the minimum. No surprise to see him show up well again but won't be winning.

WILFUL (County Hurdle)

Stablemate of Tellherthename who has been beaten in both handicaps which is not auspicious. May still be learning on the job and should still have his best days ahead.

TOUR OVALIE (Mares' Novices')

Has been well placed to win four races this season but would be out of her depth at Cheltenham.

SUMMARY

The short-list for the Imperial Cup used to start and end with whatever Martin Pipe was running and the bonus, more often than not, just creates a few extra headlines for the sponsors and very few of those in the Morebattle Hurdle have realistic claims of landing the bounty.

Those that do pick themselves and are headed by Vischio on account of her trainer. It wouldn't surprise at all were Mullins to eke out further improvement from the mare but we're less than a month on from 'the plan' and it seems unlikely that this is part of a grand scheme.

The unexposed and talented Tellherthename has obvious potential and Favour And Fortune may also have more in the locker but it would seem that both have had truncated campaigns by accident rather than design.

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