Time to stop moaning about mares' races and to get jumps-breds going earlier

Racing authorities and breeders' associations in Britain and Ireland have done much in recent years to encourage owners and trainers to campaign National Hunt mares, from expanding the black-type race programme to introducing bonus schemes offering financial incentives.

The measures were desperately needed, as the long-held antipathy towards racing them had led to a striking lack of demand for female young stock at jumps sales: few have made it into catalogues for the major sales and the ones who did have sold for far less than colts and geldings on average. For too long, the birth of a filly foal has been greeted with despair by National Hunt breeders.

Matters have improved a little, but if results from this year's Cheltenham Festival don't finally convince owners and trainers that jumps mares are worth having in their strings then nothing will.