Mottes embarks on Betfair mission for Mullins

Willie Mullins goes in search of further riches at Newbury on Saturday as he unleashes fascinating French recruit Ocastle Des Mottes in the Betfair Hurdle.

Ireland’s perennial champion trainer obliterated the opposition at last weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival, enjoying a clean sweep in the eight Grade Ones and nine winners from 15 races overall.

A week on, he goes in search of a first victory in Britain’s most valuable handicap hurdle with a horse who has yet to run this side of the Channel, but has won twice over obstacles in his homeland.

Carrying the colours of prominent owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede for the first time, it is no surprise bookmakers are taking no chances and have priced Ocastle Des Mottes as clear favourite, but connections are not getting carried away.

“Basically, he’s a horse that’s been bought for steeplechasing next year, so if we were going to run him this spring, we were going to run him in a valuable handicap hurdle,” said the owners’ racing manager Anthony Bromley.

“He’s lower rated in England than in Ireland, so that’s why he’s coming to England and it will give him some experience of big fields and the tempo of British racing.

“Two miles might be a bit short for him, he does want soft ground. I wouldn’t know if he should be favourite, but I find that the French horses that have their first run in an English, big-field handicap, they can get a shock from the tempo of the race.

“The race will tell us a lot more about the horse. We like the horse, but he’s next year’s project and we want to learn a little bit more about what trip he needs moving forwards.

“As he’s lower rated here, we thought we’d start him off in an English race and it’s obviously the richest handicap hurdle in the UK, so why not have a dart at it – and a good one.”

Mullins will also be represented by outsider Alvaniy, ridden by Bryony Frost, and the enigmatic Onlyamatteroftime, who was called up as first reserve following the withdrawal of Ben Pauling’s Tellherthename.

Harry Cobden had been set to partner Tellherthename but now switches to Ito Ditto, twice a winner at Chepstow this term.

Nicky Henderson has won the Betfair Hurdle on five occasions, with dual winner Geos (2000 and 2004) joined on the roll of honour by Sharpical (1998), Landing Light (2001) and My Tent Or Yours (2013).

This year, the Seven Barrows handler runs Iberico Lord and Doddiethegreat after taking out Luccia and Under Control due to testing ground.

“I know Nico (de Boinville) feels Iberico Lord will like the soft ground and probably Doddiethegreat – they might be the soft ground boys.

“I cannot explain Iberico Lord’s run last time, his performance was shocking really. Nothing came to light and his work has been very good, so there is nothing you can do but go again.”

Neil King has high hopes for Lookaway, who has enjoyed a well-earned break since filling the runner-up spot behind Captain Teague in the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury in late December.

King said “There’s no getting away from it, he had a hard race in the Challow; he battled and fought all the way to the line in testing conditions there.

“I thought at the time that he definitely wouldn’t want to go anywhere for a month after that, although in fairness to him, he did actually bounce out of the race quite nicely and was fresh and well the next week. But I’m sure he’ll benefit from waiting just that little bit longer.

“I’m confident the rain will help us as well, I’d have been far more worried if it had been a really drying time and got on the fast side of good, because then two miles might have been a bit sharp for him in that calibre of race.”

Harry Fry feels the rain-softened ground will bring the best out of Altobelli, who has gone close in a couple of similar races at Ascot already this term.

He said: “Conditions will certainly play to the strengths of Altobelli, who has run well in two competitive handicaps at Ascot, including the last day when the ground had dried up plenty for him.

“If you watch the replay back and see his action, it is really clear that he wants a good cut in the ground, so he’ll relish conditions on Saturday and we’re hoping he can transfer that good form at Ascot across to Newbury and be very competitive. We’re looking forward to it.”