Fowler lining up Betfair Hurdle bid for Colonel Mustard

Lorna Fowler’s Colonel Mustard is in line for a switch back to smaller obstacles as Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle beckons.

The chestnut was a high-quality novice hurdler who was placed in a string of classy contests – including finishing second to Jonbon at Ascot and third to State Man in the County Hurdle in March – before graduating to fences this season.

Fourth on debut and then second behind El Fabiolo at Fairyhouse, the eight-year-old ran two good races in competitive company when taking to the task well.

A return to hurdles awaits, however, with Colonel Mustard now aiming for the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on February 11, where he will be ridden by conditional jockey Kieren Buckley.

“The plan is to go to the Betfair Hurdle, at the moment everything is going to plan and hopefully he realises it needs to keep going to plan,” said County Meath-based Fowler, whose charge is a general 14-1 chance.

“He’s in great form, we’re going to try to jump him over some of those white hurdles so he sees white paint. We are all guns blazing, along with everybody else!

“I’d like Kieren Buckley to ride him, by chance he ended up doing a lot of the schooling of him over fences and a lot of work with him early doors this season.

“He will claim 3lb in the UK, but the biggest factor really is him knowing the horse. He rode him in his last race because Darragh (O’Keeffe) got injured, that was in his chase at Fairyhouse.

“He’s done most of the working and schooling with him all season and I’m a great one for them knowing the horses.”

Colonel Mustard’s chasing career is not over and future outings over fences are still probable, with Fowler expecting the switch between the two types of obstacles to suit the sharp-minded gelding.

“To me he’s an incredibly bright horse, he’s not the sort of horse that’s going to get confused,” she said.

“He’s very accurate and given he’s a smart, intelligent horse, I don’t think it will be a problem for him. I think he enjoys it, he enjoys the chopping and changing and I think, having brought him back and schooled him over hurdles recently, that he gets a kick out of it.

“Fences are a big option going forward but I think we’ll probably look at having a couple of hurdle runs. He’ll have lots of different options after the Betfair Hurdle, but right now we’ll worry about that race and then see what comes after.”