Cyrus Darius can reward Jefferson

However today’s illustrious Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso will reveal whether Malton trainer Malcolm Jefferson’s well-regarded Cyrus Darius deserves to line up in Cheltenham’s day one highlight next month.

If the eight-year-old does make it to the National Hunt Festival, it will be testament to the patience of Jefferson since the horse caught the eye when winning a Grade Two novice hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April 2015.

Despite then making a successful chasing debut the following September at Perth, the horse suffered a tendon injury which meant a year on the sidelines before last month’s comeback race at Haydock where the horse, ridden by Brian Hughes, was fourth to the enigmatic The New One, a multiple Grade One winner.

The softly-spoken Jefferson expressed relief at the performance, despite his charge being 26 lengths in arrears, and said he would be even more relieved if the lightly-raced Cyrus Darius was sound the following morning.

So it proved and today’s contest will be just the eighth race of the horse’s career. “He’s come on since his last run and he will probably come on for this run again,” the trainer’s daughter and assistant, Ruth, told The Yorkshire Post.

“We just want him to go there and improve again. He’s not quite 100 per cent. He came out of Haydock really well – he knocked a knee but that didn’t bother him – and this is another step up. There are not a lot of runners, but it’s competitive and it’s good prize money.

“We didn’t have the preparation we wanted before Haydock and got beat 26 lengths by fit horses, with Brian looking after him after the second last flight.”

As for the tantalising prospect of lining up in the Champion Hurdle following the injury-enforced absence of the previous two winners, Faugheen and Annie Power, from the luckless yard of Annie Power, Jefferson says it is not an improbability.

After all, the current favourite Buveur D’Air, from the yard of Nicky Henderson who is seeking a sixth win to eclipse Easterby’s record, came to prominence last April when winning the same Aintree contest landed by Cyrus Darius 12 months previously.

“We will know more after today’s race,” said Jefferson.

“It’s hard to say how many runners there will be – it might be better than one of the big field handicaps. I wouldn’t say it’s a definite but we wouldn’t rule it out. The favourite (Buveur D’Air) won the same Aintree race as Cyrus.”

Jefferson also confirmed that the stable’s exciting novice chasers Waiting Patiently and Cloudy Dream are in “good order” and will not race again before Cheltenham.

Though both hold entries in the Arkle Trophy and the longer JLT Novices’ Chase, both are ground dependent – Waiting Patiently prefers softer conditions while Cloudy Dream needs faster going to be seen at his best.

Meanwhile the aforementioned Mullins has no plans to supplement Yorkhill for the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Winner of the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle last March, Yorkhill embarked on his novice chase career this season, making a successful debut at Fairyhouse in December before following up when switched to Grade Three company at Leopardstown last time.

“I’m happy to keep him over fences,” said the out of luck Mullins.

“It’s his novice year. We could seriously have a think about putting him back over hurdles next season if we want to. But at the moment we’re not thinking like that.

“At the moment the Champion Hurdle is not part of our plan.”

Henry Morshead recorded his second success over hurdles when Bandon Roc prevailed at Towcester yesterday. The Kim Bailey-trained horse’s third win this month, Morshead is the grandson of Brandsby’s Peter Beaumont who saddled Jodami to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory.