Cheltenham Festival: Mahler Mission heading straight for Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle after Doncaster win
Mahler Mission 20/1 for Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle after hard-fought victory in River Don at Doncaster on Saturday; Hillcrest could head to Prestige Hurdle at Haydock next after unseating rider at Cheltenham
Wednesday 2 February 2022 12:06, UK
John McConnell is looking forward to taking Mahler Mission straight to Cheltenham for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle following his victory at Doncaster on Saturday.
The six-year-old earned quotes as low as 20/1 for the three-mile test at the Festival after he backed up his first success at Sedgefield two weeks earlier with a Grade Two-winning display in the River Don Novices' Hurdle on Town Moor.
McConnell is happy with the way Mahler Mission has taken those exertions in beating The Real Whacker by two lengths over an extended three miles but does not want to go to the well again before Cheltenham.
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"He came out of it fine. He's a very tough horse and there's not a bother on him. It was a good performance. We were thrilled. He ground it out well," said the County Meath handler.
"He'll go straight for Cheltenham. He's had two trips in the last couple of weeks and three runs in five weeks. He'll go straight for the Albert Bartlett."
Hillcrest could head to Haydock after Cheltenham mishap
Hillcrest, a 14/1 shot for the Albert Bartlett, could head to the Prestige Hurdle at Haydock after Saturday's unfortunate mishap at Cheltenham.
Henry Daly's seven-year-old went into the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle on the back of a three-race unbeaten run.
However, at the third flight in the Grade Two contest, the odds-on favourite was forced to shimmy to avoid faller Harper's Brook and prone jockey Kielan Woods. Hillcrest's rider, Richard Patrick, was unbalanced and exited out the side door.
The Stanton Lacy handler is now in a quandary, with few suitable opportunities open to him.
Daly said: "If only I knew what the plan was! He is absolutely fine. Mick Meagher, Trevor Hemmings' racing manger, and I have been mulling this over, as you can imagine.
"The opportunity of the Prestige Hurdle on February 19, which is about the only race he can run in now, is a possible option.
"It is one of those things. It really isn't foremost in our minds - it is just that it is there.
"The trouble is, he has learned nothing and we have learned nothing. The whole point of novice hurdles is to teach them their job.
"Of course, you have missed an opportunity of teaching him his job a bit more.
"But I'm really not sure about Haydock. That is the only race if we wanted to run somewhere, but I'm not sure if that's what we are going to do.
"We will take a view and see how we get on. Saturday was just one of those things. It was very frustrating what happened, but we have to move on and do something else."
