Weekend Ante-post look forward

It's the penultimate weekend before the Cheltenham Festival and we are now at the point where the feverish wait for the big show in the Cotswolds is so close we can almost touch it!

Saturday is a big day in the calendar for Kelso, with the Morebattle Hurdle and the Premier Chase on the agenda, and Irish raider Emmet Mullins could be looking to stage a repeat Scottish success en route to glory in the Cotswolds.

We're looking at some runners heading out this weekend that may still have Festival ambitions at Cheltenham and beyond.

Vischio - County Hurdle @ 12/1 with bet365

El Fabiolo - Ryanair Chase @ 12/1 with bet365

Kandoo Kid - Grand National @ 25/1 with bet365

Mullins keen on Morebattle target again

Emmet Mullins has already gained a reputation for placing his horses to maximum effect and it's no surprise to find him bound for Kelso for the Morebattle Hurdle on Saturday (3.30).

Mullins struck in the 2m handicap hurdle with The Shunter in 2021 and scooped the £100,000 bonus offered by the sponsor when he followed up in the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival over fences.

Now he is targeting the Scottish Borders contest with VISCHIO, a winner at the Dublin Racing Festival at the start of February.

The mare won the Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at the DRF, a poignant success for Emmet and rider Danny Mullins in the race run in memory of their grandparents.

The Syndicates Racing-owned Vischio was a five-length winner of that Listed handicap at Leopardstown and is the sole Irish-trained runner in a full 18-runner field for the Morebattle.

The handicapper hasn't taken a chance, she's rated a stone higher now, but with entries in the Coral Cup, the County Hurdle and the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, it seems more than likely that her trainer will be targeting the Cotswolds if she can emulate The Shunter in Scotland.

Favour And Fortune (Alan King), Slugger (Harry Derham) and Tellherthename (Jonjo & AJ O'Neill) are other Morebattle Hurdle contenders still clutching Festival entries in the County Hurdle and with that bonus still offered for winning the Kelso prize and following up in any Cheltenham race, it's a must-see contest.

El Fabiolo on recovery mission

Willie Mullins has quite the stranglehold on the Webster Cup at Navan (3.50) on Saturday as the Closutton maestro saddles three of the five runners.

Last-time-out Irish Gold Cup runner-up Grangeclare West joins Gentleman De Mee but there is no doubting that EL FABIOLO is the key runner here.

Paul Townend partners the 174-rated chaser in the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede silks on what is a recovery mission.

The 2023 Arkle winner is 0-3 since being pulled up in the Champion Chase last March after going off the 2/9favourite.

He couldn't get the better of Jonbon at Sandown afterwards and he didn't get far in his only run this season, falling at the second fence in the recent Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at the DRF.

That was a run his trainer felt he'd have needed and Mullins stressed afterwards he might have find a target between there and Cheltenham after premature end.

He steps up in trip and a big effort now could set him up for a chance to tackle the Ryanair Chase in the Cotswolds.

Nicholls hopes Kid Kandoo it again

Paul Nicholls has enjoyed a resurgence in the last fortnight and the Ditcheat trainer has a smile on his face once more.

He's gearing a select team up for Cheltenham but will have an eye on Aintree when he sends KANDOO KID into action in the Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury (3.45) on Saturday afternoon.

The nine-year-old won the Coral Gold Cup at this venue in November and has been allotted a mark of 152 and a possible racing weight of 10st 11lb for the Grand National on April 5th.

The 14-time champion trainer has won the Greatwood Gold Cup nine times since 2006 and will be hoping the top-weight can signal his potential for the Merseyside marathon with a big run.

Get €60 in FREE BETS with the BetVictor sign up offer: