Thomas Mor Headed For Reynoldstown En Route To Festival Bid

Thomas Mor could prove he is the forgotten horse in the novice chasing after department 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 second to in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Boxing Day and having actually seen Kempton 3rd, Wendigo, and fourth, Salver, frank the kind considering that, connections are resilient ahead of this Grade Two occasion which might function as a springboard to the Cheltenham Festival.


White said: "The form has been boosted because Christmas, I was extremely amazed when taking a look at the Brown Advisory betting to see he is 100-1 and a few of the horses that have actually been behind him and not too far in front are single figures.


"He remains in excellent form and schooled well on Tuesday early morning and goes back to Ascot which is a course he won well at on his penultimate start. Conditions should fit and he's 10lb greater than anything else on ratings so we need to be enthusiastic.


"We'll get Saturday out the way first before we think about Cheltenham however at the minute we are thinking of the Grade One.


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


Thomas Mor has clever course kind (Andrew Matthews/PA)


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


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


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


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


"He remains in fantastic form and schooled over a number of obstacles on Tuesday morning. We couldn't be happier with him and thrilled to see how he gets on."