Potential £100,000 bonus up for grabs as 26 remain in contention for Saturday's Morebattle Hurdle

Mctigue is one of 26 runners in contention for the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle (1.50) at Kelso on Saturday as trainer Emmet Mullins tries to replicate the success he had with The Shunter in 2021.

The Shunter collected the £100,000 bonus by winning the 2m handicap and following that up with success at the Cheltenham Festival, and Mullins will be hoping for more of the same from Mctigue, who holds four entries for the festival in March.

The four-year-old won his first two starts since switching from Jim Bolger's yard – a Sedgefield maiden followed by an Auteuil Grade 2 – before being well beaten on his last two starts, including finishing 82 lengths behind Triumph Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth at Leopardstown in December.

He's the youngest in the field and features in a strong Irish team, headed by last year's County Hurdle third Colonel Mustard, who reverts to hurdles after two unsuccessful attempts at chasing, with Wajaaha and Holmes St Georges completing the potential line-up.

Cormier seeks back-to-back victories in the race having won by a length and a half before finishing seventh in the County at Cheltenham, but he does not hold any entries for the festival this time around.

Teddy Blue will look to back up his recent third in the Betfair Hurdle and still holds an entry in the Supreme as well as the County Hurdle, while Tritonic looks to rediscover some form having been out of sorts over hurdles since finishing fourth to Epatante in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle in 2021.

Luttrell Lad could make his first start since switching from Philip Hobbs to Tom Lacey, while Donald McCain and Nicky Richards are both doubly represented with the former having Musselburgh winners Nayati and Collingham and the latter entering Grade 2 novice winner Nells Son and Parisencore.

Lucinda Russell's course-and-distance winners Thereisnodoubt and Trapain Law, and the likes of the Milton Harris-trained El Muchacho will need runners to come out if they want the chance of running, with the Sam Thomas-trained Deere Mark also on the cusp of the 16-runner maximum field.

Kingwell Hurdle winner I Like To Move It was the most notable absentee, along with the Dan Skelton pair West Cork and Playful Saint.

Full list of confirmations

Colonel Mustard Lorna Fowler
Tritonic Alan King
Cormier Brian Ellison
Nayati Donald McCain
Nells Son Nicky Richards
Benson Sandy Thomson
Luttrell Lad Tom Lacey
Mctigue Emmet Mullins
L'Eau Du Sud Dan Skelton
Onemorefortheroad Neil King
Wajaaha P.J. McKenna
Teddy Blue Gary Moore
Gipsy De Choisel Nicky Henderson
Hardy Du Seuil Jamie Snowden
Lebowski Michael Scudamore
Parisencore Nicky Richards
Collingham Donald McCain
Deere Mark Sam Thomas
Clear White Light Adrian Keatley
El Muchacho Milton Harris
Thereisnodoubt Lucinda Russell
Glorious Zoff Fergal O'Brien
Holmes St Georges Stuart Crawford
Enemy Coast Ahead Katie Scott
Ginger Mail Nick Alexander
Trapain Law Lucinda Russell

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