Gordon Brown – Race Reporter
Gordon has a wealth of experience of racing through his background in the written and broadcast media. His current principle role is reporting and supporting the scene in Scotland on Racing TV and relaying the latest news with Scottish angles.
EMMET MULLINS is once more chasing the £100,000 bonus on offer should the winner of the bet365 Morebatttle Handicap Hurdle go on to follow up in any race at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Irish handler scooped the pot after The Shunter pulled off the double two years ago and at Kelso on Saturday he pins his hopes on Mctigue, ridden by Donagh Meyler and favourite with most bookmakers for the two-mile contest.
Also declared for the fiercely competitive event are top-weight and fellow Irish raider Colonel Mustard, trained by Lorna Fowler, last year’s hero Cormier and Dan Skelton-trained L’Eau Du Sud.
The supporting races on the £275,000 card include the Grade 2 bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle in which Mullins and Meyler team up again in with Feronily.
Locally-based Sandy Thomson will be hoping to keep the prize on home soil with his two-time course winner Carcaci Castle.
And Le Milos has his Grand National stepping-stone in the £60,000 bet365 Listed Premier Chase for Dan and Harry Skelton but Mullins and Meyler are again lurking as The Shunter tries for a chase success in the Scottish borders.
Ballabriggs and Auroras Encore both ran (and lost) in the race on their way to subsequent glory at Aintree a few weeks later.