Cheltenham still the aim for Maughreen as Mares' Novices' Hurdle favourite nears return

Leading Cheltenham Festival fancy Maughreen is ready for a return to the track with her hurdles debut expected in the coming weeks. 

Despite having been last seen on a racecourse 12 months ago and having never jumped a hurdle in public, Maughreen is the clear 5-1 favourite for the Grade 2 Mares' Novices' Hurdle on March 13. Trainer Willie Mullins has won five of the nine runnings, most recently with Concertista in 2020.

Maughreen, whose dam is a half-sister to the top-class Faugheen, ran out a hugely impressive winner of a mares' bumper at Punchestown last January, powering 11 lengths clear of the field. That display led her to become ante-post favourite for the Champion Bumper before a small setback ruled her out of Cheltenham.

The six-year-old races in the colours of the Closutton Racing Club, whose manager James Fenton reports that the dry weather has been the main reason why she has not been seen yet.

"Maughreen is good and we're very happy with her," he said. "She's been doing everything right but the ground has held us up all along. She's a very big mare and we don't need to take a chance. 

"We decided we'd wait until after Christmas, so it's now whenever Willie wants to pull the trigger. I'd expect her to be entered and to run before the end of the month, but it'll be up to Willie which race."

Fenton is pleased with the progress made by Maughreen at home and with how the form of her Punchestown bumper has turned out.

He said: "Paul Townend has done a lot of schooling on her and she jumps very well. When we break in horses at home, we do a lot of loose schooling and she was always a very natural jumper. She pricks her ears a couple of strides before a hurdle and takes it on and gets down nice and low. We just need the right race and right ground for her now and she's all set.

"Plenty of winners came out of her Punchestown bumper and the form is turning out to be competitive. We just don't know how good she is but she's showing plenty and her schooling has been very professional.

"The aim is to turn up at Cheltenham for the Mares' Novices' and we still have plenty of time. We don't want to rush her and we want to mind her, especially a mare of that calibre."

Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, Cheltenham (Thursday, March 13)
Paddy Power: 5 Maughreen, 10 Jubilee Alpha, Kientzheim, 14 Anno Power, Baby Kate, Diva Luna, Sixandahalf, 16 Karoline Banbou, 20 bar.

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