Peter Scudamore: Ahoy Senor set for Bravemansgame Cheltenham rematch

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In Monday's email, Chris speaks to Peter Scudamore about the Cheltenham chances of top novice chaser Ahoy Senor – and subscribers can get more great insight, tips and racing chat from Chris every Monday to Friday.

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Scotland looks set to have a live contender at next month's Cheltenham Festival, as the team behind Ahoy Senor are edging towards running him in the Brown Advisory Novice Chase.

Doubts were expressed on this score some three weeks ago but last week's news from Willie Mullins that Galopin Des Champs is likely to miss the race in favour of a shorter contest has helped to make the Brown Advisory a more attractive proposition.

"We're much more positive about him running at Cheltenham than we were," Peter Scudamore told the Front Runner on Sunday, showing off his multitasking by answering his phone while on horseback. Scu is, in addition to being an eight-times champion jump jockey, partner to Ahoy Senor's trainer, Lucinda Russell.

"I don't know why we were so worried, really," he added. "Willie's horse that I can't pronounce is going to the 2m4f race... but he's bound to have something else in it.

"Ahoy Senor worked on Saturday, we're happy with him. As long as the ground's okay and he continues on that upward pattern that he's in at the moment, we'll go to Cheltenham.

"We're very privileged to have a horse who's good enough to go. There won't be many British people who'll have a horse under 10-1 going to Cheltenham. This is what it's all about."

It's odd to see two big-name Irish contenders taking each other on in the Turners Novice Chase, which is now the target for both Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger. Of those horses expected to run in the Brown Advisory, the two most fancied are British: Bravemansgame at 9-4 and Ahoy Senor at 11-2.

Bravemansgame (orange) was a decisive winner over Ahoy Senor at Kempton over ChristmasCredit: Edward Whitaker

Have the Irish taken pity on us? It almost looks like a gesture of sporting generosity, as if Mullins and Henry de Bromhead had agreed: 'We better let them have something...' But the presence of Mullins's Capodanno at 6-1 suggests such thoughts are fanciful.

Scu acknowledges that Bravemansgame "hammered us at Kempton" but it was the other way round at Aintree last April, when Ahoy Senor prevailed in a top-class novice hurdle by seven lengths. Since his Boxing Day defeat, the Scottish horse was a comfortable winner of Wetherby's Towton.

"I was very pleased with his jumping there," Scu says. "Derek [Fox] worked something out in his mind about him and I think he got him jumping better.

"I feel he is a good jumper. He's got the ability to jump well. He's just got to click his brain to get it all together and maybe a bit of better ground would help."

The Front Runner noted Ahoy Senor correcting to his right at several fences, but this did not bother Scudamore. "He doesn't hang or anything, he's just finding himself a bit of room. I don't think he does it enough to put you off running left-handed. I have many concerns and that's probably number 11.

"You can put hundreds of arguments either way but our job is really to get him to Cheltenham and I hope we can get him there for several years to come."

Russell and Scudamore may be taking two classy novice chasers to the Festival, as Corach Rambler is also expected to take his chance in the Ultima, having unseated when favourite for the Reynoldstown recently. "He's been a fantastic horse for us this season.

"It was a bit unfortunate that he made a mistake at Ascot the other day. He'd probably have been first or second. He's given us and the owners a journey that we're very proud of."

Corach Rambler: on course for the Ultima Handicap ChaseCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Beyond that, Mighty Thunder is on course for the Grand National, having had a wind op in response to his disappointing run at Musselburgh. "I'm pleased to see him back, jumping well and going well. It's a manageable problem, whereas sometimes they run bad and you don't know why."

Having won last year's Scottish National, Mighty Thunder looks likely to creep into the Aintree race at the bottom of the weights. He's being overlooked at 50-1.

More immediately, his Kinross stable will be well represented at Kelso this Saturday, including by Thereisnodoubt in the valuable Morebattle Hurdle. Big River, who recently tied the record for Kelso wins with an eighth success, will be given the chance to make it nine on his way to the Scottish National.

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The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday