The Lorna Fowler-trained Colonel Mustard© Photo Healy Racing
Lorna Fowler is on a fact-finding mission with Colonel Mustard who takes on El Fabiolo in a high-class two-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse today.
The seven-year-old has shown plenty of ability over hurdles and chased home Jonbon in the Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle at Ascot around this time last year.
Subsequently Grade 1-placed at Leopardstown and third to State Man in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham, he finished fourth to Hollow Games on his chasing debut and Fowler is hoping he can take the required step forward.
“Colonel Mustard was a bit short on his debut, a bit shorter than I thought he was. We didn’t give him a hard time, but we didn’t want to — it is long season. He was given the perfect ride and that is what we wanted,” she said.
“He got great experience and that is what he needs. So, more experience is on the agenda, half an hour down the road.
“I haven’t got the fast work I wanted into him this week because of the weather, so he is lacking a bit of an edge, but you just have to get on with it. He seems in good form with himself, so we are going to have a go.”
Plans remain fluid for the Makfi gelding, whose rivals include the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo, who was beaten a neck by Jonbon in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April, and Fowler wants to see how he copes before plotting a path to the future.
She added: “There are a lot of different options. We don’t really know what kind of level he is at. As you can appreciate, if you are running in a beginners’ chase here, you might as well be running in a Grade 1 in England, because that is what it is like.
“So we really need to gauge our level and I’m hoping we find out more about what his level is and then we will see what our options are after that.
“I’d love to tell you I have a really great plan mapped out for him, but I don’t.
“We know his ability over hurdles, we just need to see what he is over fences — I think he will stay further over fences, though. I think he’ll be a two-and-a-half-miler over fences.”
Mullins is excited about El Fabiolo's reappearance saying, "I’m really looking forward to getting him out. He was good over hurdles and I think he could be a better horse over fences."
However, the champion trainer is more downbeat about another of his young stars Sir Gerhard saying: “Sir Gerhard worked yesterday and I was not happy with him so we will wait another fortnight before running him.”
The Cheveley Park-owned gelding won twice at Grade 1 level over hurdles last season including the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
