Mares are good enough to win without allowance

What have the last two Christmas Hurdles, the last two Irish Champion Hurdles, the Champion Hurdle, the Fighting Fifth, the last five runnings of the Hatton’s Grace, seven of the last ten Arcs and five of the last nine King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes got in common? Yes, they’ve all been won by mares, and every time they have enjoyed the privilege of receiving an allowance.

On Sunday morning I got up to watch the Japan Cup and three of the first four home were mares or fillies and surely it’s obvious to everyone now that a top-class mare has too big an advantage in the best races.

It wasn’t that long ago that there weren’t many mares kept in training over jumps but now we have three races at the Cheltenham Festival solely for them. They have loads of opportunities, so why should they get 7lb when they race against the males?

Epatante would have won all her Grade 1s without her allowance – she doesn’t need one – but Honeysuckle probably wouldn’t have beaten Ronald Pump on Sunday without it.

She is brilliant but she has won five Grade 1s now and that race might have been the best chance the runner-up will ever have of winning a race of the highest class. It just seems to me that these days everything is skewed in the mares’ favour.

For that reason I reckon the connections of Concertista are going to end up running her in the Champion Hurdle in March and that she is going to be the biggest danger to Epatante. Probably the only danger.

Concertista: would be Epatante's main danger if lining up in the Champion HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Concertista was easily the most impressive winner at last year’s festival and she clearly relishes the track. Of course she could end up running in the Mares’ Hurdle against Honeysuckle but I think the owners would love a shot at the Champion and she will be the only one racing off level weights with Epatante.

On Saturday she barely came off the bridle when winning a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse and it was noticeable that Willie Mullins wasn’t ruling out her taking on the boys in the future. That could come as early as Christmas, when she has an entry for a Grade 1 at Leopardstown.

One interesting point about Concertista is that she is by Nathaniel, the same sire as Enable and hugely impressive juvenile hurdler Zanahiyr.

Zanahiyr not only looks the part but he was brilliant over his hurdles on Sunday and the time was jet propelled. He was ten seconds faster than Ballyadam in the Grade 1 half an hour later and six seconds quicker than the high-class handicappers later on the card.

No doubt the sectionalistas will unpick his performance in the coming days but the visuals mark him out as a superstar already and I will be shocked if anything gets near him in the Triumph Hurdle.

Allaho has easier task at Kempton than Savills

With Champ being earmarked for a crack at the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over the Christmas period, that race looks like being a lot stronger than the King George at Kempton.

There were only five runners in the King George last season and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Paul Nicholls trained more than half the field with Clan Des Obeaux. Cyrname, Real Steel and Frodon all earmarked for the race.

Willie Mullins ran Footpad at Kempton last year and it would be interesting to know if he plans to run one of his top-class chasers there this season because they can’t all run at Leopardstown.

Allaho looks tailor-made for the King George. Kempton is the best jumps track in the country for front-runners and his free-going style would suit the race perfectly.

I think last year’s RSA will hold the key to many of the best staying chases this season and the King George, even with the Nicholls battalions, may be an easier task than the Savills.

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