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Mares Hurdle

16:10 Cheltenham Festival

2024-03-12

Winner: £67,582.28

Runners: 11

Going: Heavy

No. of hurdles: 10

Distance: 2m3f200y

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The Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle run over 2m4f and restricted to mares. It is run on day one of the Cheltenham Festival and is a relatively new addition to the meeting, having first been staged in 2008. Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins has dominated the Mares’ Hurdle, having won nine of the 14 runnings including the six in a row with star mare Quevega.

NO.DRAW
FORM
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HORSE
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ODDS
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JOCKEY& TRAINER
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AGE
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WGT
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OR
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RPR
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2(0)
41-234
silk
Echoes In Rain

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J: Brian Hayes
T: W P Mullins
8
11-5
152
164
Tasted Grade 1 success in 2m3f Mares' Champion Hurdle at Punchestown last April; has been running respectably against State Man in 2m Grade 1s this winter and should find life a bit easier now returned to mares' company and stepping back up in trip; fourth in this 12 months ago.
8(0)
72-421
silk
Marie's Rock

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J: Nico de Boinville
T: Nicky Henderson
9
11-5
150
164
Won this in 2022 and notched another Cheltenham Graded success when readily seeing off Dashel Drasher in last season's Relkeel; disappointed in this race 12 months ago but a recent 3m Doncaster mares' Grade 2 defeat of You Wear It Well suggests she can fare better this time round.
9(0)
2F-342
silk
Telmesomethinggirl

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J: Rachael Blackmore
T: Henry De Bromhead
9
11-5
140
152
Won the Dawn Run at the 2021 Festival but her only success since came in a small-field mares' maiden chase at Naas (2m4f) last January; returned to hurdles this winter and showed she's still capable of smart form when chasing home Zarak The Brave in four-runner 2m Naas Grade 3 six weeks ago; more will be needed here, though.
7(0)
126-22
silk
Love Envoi

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J: Jonathan Burke
T: Harry Fry
8
11-5
149
162
Has a good Festival record (won 2022 Dawn Run and second to Honeysuckle in this race last year) but she was left trailing in Lossiemouth's wake in a 2m1f Grade 2 here in January; may narrow the gap slightly now back up in trip (has place claims) but it's still hard to see her turning the tables; has first-time cheekpieces added to her regular tongue-tie.
4(0)
16-161
silk
Hispanic Moon

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J: Darragh O'Keeffe
T: Henry De Bromhead
7
11-5
143
151
French import who has won twice at Punchestown this winter for her new stable; had Gala Marceau in third when gaining her latter success in the Grade 3 Quevega (2m4f, heavy) three weeks ago but Willie Mullins' mare was below par and it wasn't a strong race for the level with only four runners; has a bit to find on the figures.
10(0)
63-3F5
silk
Theatre Glory

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J: James Bowen
T: Nicky Henderson
7
11-5
141
153
Useful at up to 2m5f and has Graded form, but only sixth to Honeysuckle in this last year and there's nothing in this season's performances (last of five to Marie's Rock and You Wear It Well at Doncaster latest) to suggest she'll fare any better this time round; cheekpieces go on for the first time.
1(0)
311-31
silk
Ashroe Diamond

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J: Mr P W Mullins
T: W P Mullins
7
11-5
144
152
Won the 2m4f Grade 1 Honeysuckle mares' novice hurdle at Fairyhouse last April and built on her good reappearance third in the Grade 1 Hatton's Grace (again at Fairyhouse) when resuming winning ways back against her own sex in a 2m Doncaster Grade 2 (stablemate Gala Marceau in third) at the end of January; this strong traveller is fitted with a first-time hood here; looks sure to give a good account.
3(0)
23-133
silk
Gala Marceau

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J: Danny Mullins
T: W P Mullins
5
11-5
146
149
Had Lossiemouth in second when taking a Grade 1 juvenile at the 2023 Dublin Racing Festival but her reopposing stablemate came out on top on the three other occasions they clashed last season, including in the Triumph at this meeting; rounded off that campaign with another Grade 1 success at Auteuil (extended 2m3f, very soft) in May but beaten favourite behind Ashroe Diamond in a 2m Doncaster Grade 2 on her return in January and went backwards from that when a well-held third of four to Hispanic Moon in Grade 3 Quevega at Punchestown (2m4f, heavy) three weeks ago.
11(0)
5-1323
silk
You Wear It Well

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J: Gavin Sheehan
T: Jamie Snowden
7
11-5
144
152
All-the-way winner of the Dawn Run at last year's Festival (2m1f, soft) and added a 2m Wetherby Listed mares' success on her reappearance; creditable second to the reopposing Marie's Rock when stepped up to 3m at Doncaster in January but needs to shrug off a poor run at Haydock since (not helped by a bad mid-race mistake).
6(0)
1211-1
silk
Lossiemouth

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J: Paul Townend
T: W P Mullins
5
11-5
155
164
Should be unbeaten (met trouble when second to Gala Marceau at last year's Dublin Racing Festival) and last season's Triumph winner (on soft) looked a mare of the highest class when easing nearly 10l clear of Love Envoi in a 2m1f Grade 2 back here (good to soft) on her reappearance in January; the trip is an unknown but she'll be very hard to beat if her stamina holds.
5(0)
1-1
silk
Lantry Lady

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J: Jack Kennedy
T: Henry De Bromhead
6
11-5
-
142
Has looked very promising when 2-2 in 2m hurdle races in the mud at Gowran just under 12 months apart, showing useful form in a Grade 3 latterly; her strength at the finish on both occasions suggested that longer trips would be within range; this is a tough ask on only her third start but there's surely more to come from her.

RACING POST TIP

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silk
Lossiemouth
Although Vroum Vroum Mag in 2016 is the only one of five Willie Mullins-trained odds-on shots to triumph in this race in the post-Quevega era, it would still be a surprise were LOSSIEMOUTH to fluff her lines. Last year's Triumph winner would have been a major player if allowed to take her chance in the Champion Hurdle and looks a cut above the rest in this field, assuming that her stamina holds. Stablemate Ashroe Diamond can give her most to do ahead of last year's runner-up Love Envoi.

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MARES HURDLE PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Year Horse Previous Form Age Price Trainer Jockey
2023 Honeysuckle -132 9 9/4F Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore
2022 Marie’s Rock 317P1 7 18/1 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville
2021 Black Tears 22-331 7 11-1 Denise Foster Jack Kennedy
2020 Honeysuckle 11-111 6 9-4 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore
2019 Roksana 3-1112 7 10-1 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton
2018 Benie Des Dieux 33-1-11 7 9-2 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2017 Apple’s Jade 1-2212 5 7-2 Gordon Elliott Bryan Cooper
2016 Vroum Vroum Mag 11-111 7 4-6F Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2015 Glens Melody 4-7521 7 6-1 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2014 Quevega 1-11-11- 10 8-11F Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh

MARES HURDLE KEY TRENDS AND STATS

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Key trends

  • At least eight career starts, 9/10
  • Top-four finish in a Grade 1 or 2 hurdle, 9/10
  • Adjusted RPR of at least 156, 8/10
  • Rated within 10lb of RPR top-rated, 8/10
  • Won last time out, 7/10

Other factors

  • A runner priced 16-1 or bigger has finished in the first three in eight of the last ten runnings.
  • Willie Mullins has trained four of the last ten winners.
  • Quevega used to come here fresh when defending her crown but eight of the last nine winners had between two and five outings that season.

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WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - MARES HURDLE 2023

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Arguably the best field of mares ever assembled for this race; they had a combined 23 Grade 1 wins including three Champion Hurdles. It saw a fairytale ending to the career of HONEYSUCKLE, who was winning for the fourth successive year at the festival. She was helped by being well positioned in a race run at a dawdling early gallop that compromised the chance of several. Love Envoi was denied by a length, a further four lengths back to Queen’s Brook in third.