Morebattle Hurdle 2026 Preview: Key Runners and Tips for Kelso Feature

Kelso has a day in the spotlight this Saturday with the ITV cameras in town, and their feature race on the card is the Morebattle Hurdle. A fiendishly competitive renewal awaits, but Billy Grimshaw is quietly confident his selection will put in a bold effort...

With I Started A Joke missing, the ante-post favourite at around 3/1, the race changed shape dramatically after final declarations. He was set to shoulder top weight of twelve stone and Charles Byrnes has clearly decided that was a task too stiff, leaving Laafi, trained by William Durkan, as the new top weight. With a five-pound claimer booked he has a squeak, and there was definite improvement last time when finishing fifth following a change of tactics. He forced the pace that day and could adopt similar tactics here. At double figures he is not one I would dismiss lightly, even if others look better treated by the handicapper.

With three wins from three starts over this course and distance, and winning the race the last two seasons, Cracking Rhapsody will have plenty of supporters in his bid to make it four from four. Kelso is a sharp, tight, left-handed track and the hurdles course often favours those racing prominently, yet Cracking Rhapsody has shown that hold-up performers can flourish here. Expect him to be ridden cold before attempting to sweep past rivals late on. Despite the track’s sharpness, this is a demanding two miles in any ground, and with several likely to force the pace he has the proven stamina others may lack. On course form alone he could justify favouritism, although the depth of the race is reflected by the fact the market leader is 11/2 at the time of writing.

I could put nobody off backing Cracking Rhapsody, but with 11st 13lb to carry, even at a track he loves, he may find one or two better handicapped rivals finishing stronger. Hot Fuss is a horse I have always liked and I was kicking myself for letting him go unbacked when winning at Worcester last time at 10/1. A five-pound rise for that success looks fair given how decisively Tom Dascombe’s charge settled the matter, and of the likely prominent racers he is the one who concerns me most. Horses who come to hand as the ground begins to dry in spring can string wins together, and at around 8/1 he could represent value again.

Over £60,000 will be awarded to the winner of this race so there will be plots aplenty from yards who have kept their powder dry all season for this pot. Few operations are as motivated for valuable prizes at this time of year as the Skeltons, especially after last season’s heartbreak in losing the trainers’ championship to Willie Mullins following that extraordinary Grand National result. Many believe Dan has built an unassailable lead this time, but he will not be thinking in those terms. His sole representative here, QUAVISTE, looks the type primed for a big run.

Last seen given what can only be described as an educational ride at Kempton by Harry Skelton when finishing well for fifth, a mark of 113 means he carries just 10st 4lb here. It speaks volumes that Harry Skelton is willing to do that weight for the ride. Rewatching Kempton, it is difficult not to conclude that the outing was a stepping stone to something more valuable.

Prior to Kempton he ran twice at Market Rasen. On the first occasion he travelled strongly and loomed upsides before a bad mistake at the second last ended his chance. Next time over the same course and distance he finished an encouraging second to a well-handicapped winner who secured first run.

Few yards prepare one for a target better than the Skeltons. While others may already have Cheltenham on the brain, this looks a deliberate tilt at a valuable northern prize. If 113 proves the limit of this six-year-old’s ability I will be stunned. I would not be surprised to see him go off clear favourite around 4/1, so with 7/1 still available he makes plenty of appeal.