Fowler seeking Colonel Mustard clues at Fairyhouse

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 on Wednesday.

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 One-placed behind Sir Gerhard 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 tomorrow.

“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 One 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 One 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 after tomorrow 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.”