Colonel Mustard heads to Wincanton to tee up Cheltenham Festival bid

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Colonel Mustard will bid to continue the success of Irish-trained runners in Britain by becoming the first from the nation to win Wincanton's Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle (2.05).

Daryl Jacob – who partnered Zarkander to win this in 2013 – will take the ride on the Lorna Fowler-trained runner who is seeking a first success since October 2021 but has since placed in races such as the County Hurdle and Scottish Champion Hurdle.

The nine-year-old is back over hurdles after a below-par run at Newbury in December and Fowler said: "We made a clear decision to go back over hurdles after Newbury and this has been the plan with him. He had a little schooling race at Thurles which gave him a confidence-boost and he enjoyed it. 

"It's a competitive race and Rubaud beat us in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr last season but we're much better off at the weights now. We had the Kingwell earmarked since before Christmas and there's some good prize-money on offer. 

"The timeline is okay for the travel if we wanted to go to Cheltenham and my eyes are definitely on the Champion Hurdle, why not? We need to know he's right back to his best and he's really up for it. Everything at home suggests he is and if it all goes well, we'd aim to go back to Cheltenham."

Goshen missed a hat-trick defence in this race last season but faces a stiff ask to concede weight to most of his four rivals, according to trainer Gary Moore.

He said: "It'll be a big culture shock going back to two miles on a sharp track. It's not going to be easy for him but hopefully they get the rain and the ground is plenty soft enough. That would give him every chance."

Rubaud: ground is slower than ideal

Rubaud's trainer Paul Nicholls bids for another Grade 2 hurdle when Red Risk lines up for the Virgin Bet Rendlesham Hurdle (2.40) at Haydock.

And there will be plenty of interest surrounding smart chaser Sounds Russian, who will be having his first race since he suffered a knee injury when brought down in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last March.

"Since he's come back we haven't had any major hiccups," said trainer Ruth Jefferson. "It's hard to say how he'll get on. He's a 161-rated chaser and last time he ran over hurdles he was rated 111, although he only had three runs. He'll like the ground and the trip and track will be fine, but he's taking on fit horses. He's as fit as I can get him, you'd love to win it but realistically I don't know whether he'll need the race.

"He's always been an exuberant jumper at home and he's schooled over hurdles and fences so it wasn't a complete shock to go back to something smaller."

Wakool took this race last season and bids to become the first back-to-back winner since Kasbah Bliss in 2008 and 2009.

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