Thomas Mor Headed For Reynoldstown En Route To Festival Bid

Thomas Mor might show he is the forgotten horse in the newbie going after when he heads to Ascot for the Injured Jockeys Fund Ambassadors Programme Reynoldstown Novices' Chase on Saturday.


Philip Hobbs and Johnson White's course winner was 2nd to Kitzbuhel in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Boxing Day and having actually seen Kempton third, Wendigo, and 4th, Salver, frank the form since, connections are resilient ahead of this Grade Two occasion which could function as a springboard to the Cheltenham Festival.


White said: "The form has been enhanced considering that Christmas, I was really amazed when looking at the Brown Advisory betting to see he is 100-1 and some of the horses that have lagged him and not too far in front are single figures.


"He's in excellent form and schooled well on Tuesday morning and goes back to Ascot which is a course he won well at on his penultimate start. Conditions should match and he's 10lb higher than anything else on scores so we have to be hopeful.


"We'll get Saturday out the way initially before we think about Cheltenham but at the moment we are believing of the Grade One.


"This has actually constantly been the race we wanted for him after Kempton and we're very much anticipating the track we are taking."


Thomas Mor has smart course type (Andrew Matthews/PA)


Hobbs and White might likewise be represented at Ascot by the well-regarded Starzand in the opening Betfair Novices' Hurdle, a race the stable won with Sporting John back in 2020.


Meanwhile, French Ship, another of the Minehead operation's leading lights, is likely to evaluate the waters in graded business at Haydock when heading to the north west for the ZYN Rendlesham Hurdle.


"He'll most likely go to Haydock rather than the Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton," continued White.


"It will be competitive but he's in great kind and he's run well at Haydock in the past, so there's no factor not to be believing that method.


"He's in terrific type and schooled over a couple of obstacles on Tuesday morning. We couldn't be happier with him and delighted to see how he gets on."