Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne eyeing Morebattle festival bonus again with progressive Mctigue

The Shunter earned trainer Emmet Mullins and owner Paul Byrne a £100,000 bonus when striking at Cheltenham after winning the Morebattle Hurdle two years ago and the pair are out to repeat the feat with Mctigue at Kelso on Saturday.

The four-year-old has an entry in the Triumph Hurdle but is more likely to appear in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at next month's festival.

Connections will see how Mctigue fares on Saturday before nailing down a festival target. Mullins said: “Mctigue will probably go to Kelso for the Morebattle Hurdle and that will dictate whether he goes to Cheltenham and for what race.”

The £100,000 bonus is triggered by winning the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle and following up in any race less than a fortnight later at the Cheltenham Festival. Last year’s Kelso winner, Cormier, made a solid bid for the pot when finishing seventh in the County Hurdle.

Mctigue was a useful maiden winner on the Flat for Jim Bolger and has won two of his four starts over hurdles for Mullins, including a valuable Grade 2 hurdle in Auteuil under Donagh Meyler. The son of Fracas has been handed a UK rating of 142.

Colonel Mustard is another intriguing Irish entry at Kelso for trainer Lorna Fowler. He was last seen finishing second to subsequent Irish Arkle winner El Fabiolo in a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse in December and has the option of reverting to hurdles. The eight-year-old finished third to State Man in the County Hurdle at last season's Cheltenham Festival.

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