Colonel Mustard makes the trip over the Irish sea to Wincanton this weekend as he bids to stop Goshen’s three-peat in the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle.
After two runs over fences this term the nine-year-old hasn’t quite lived up to his mark of 148 which he holds over hurdles but trainer Lorna Fowler is optimistic for the return to the smaller obstacles.
“Colonel Mustard has travelled over to Wincanton, obviously it’s a very long journey from County Meath,” said Fowler.
“We had this race earmarked a while back, we tried our hand again at fences but I think it’s not his bag in the way that hurdling is, he just comes alive over a hurdle - and that wasn’t really the same over fences.”
Colonel Mustard ridden by Kieren Buckley
On his first run of this campaign Colonel Mustard was a runner-up to Found A Fifty under Rachael Blackmore at Down Royal, the former was a close second in the Irish Arkle two weeks ago and is now a single figure price for the Cheltenham equivalent.
Not seen since finishing fifth in the Grade Two John Francome Novices' Chase at the start of December, Fowler assures he is ready to lay down a serious challenge on Saturday.
Fowler said: “I’m very happy with him, I took him to a schooling race at Thurles a few weeks ago and that’s put him mentally in a good place - he really enjoyed it.”
“We’ll go and take our chance, obviously I would’ve liked better ground - that is probably my concern.”
“We’re obviously better at the weights by a significant margin with Rubaud than when we met at Ayr.”
As Fowler refers to, Colonel Mustard and Rubaud have previous, the pair were 1st and 2nd in the Grade Two Scottish Champion Hurdle in April last year, where Fowler’s charge was taken with giving away weight.
They meet in the Kingwell on much more favourable terms for the chesnut, he’ll carry 11st 4lbs and will have Daryl Jacob in the plate for the first time.
