16:15 Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)

This is a new race on the festival programme, having replaced the novice handicap chase, and it comes in at Grade 2 level. It is the third race restricted to mares at the festival and Willie Mullins will be the trainer to watch, having won nine out of 13 in the Mares’ Hurdle and all five runnings of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Two of his big names are Colreevy, a Grade 1 winner against males over fences in the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick’s Christmas meeting, and Grade 2 chase winner Elimay, whose latest victory came in Listed company over the Gordon Elliott-trained Shattered Love. Elliott’s mare was a Grade 1 novice chase winner at the festival in 2018 and two of last year’s festival winners, Put The Kettle On (Arkle) and Dame De Compagnie (Coral Cup), could also lay down a strong challenge to the Mullins team for Henry de Bromhead and Nicky Henderson respectively, along with the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Annie Mc. If most of those line up, this should be a competitive race that justifies its place on the festival roster.