Festival winners Laurina and Minella Indo face off in red-hot beginners' chase

2.45 Gowran Park
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase | 2m4f | 4yo+ | RTV

Altior and Cyrname may have hogged all the headlines in the lead-up to a sizzling Saturday of jumps racing, but there is a sumptuous showdown across the water between two Cheltenham Festival winners who are starting their chasing careers in the same race.

Laurina won the Dawn Run Mares Novices' Hurdle at the 2018 festival by 18 lengths and was just 5-2 to win the Champion Hurdle last season. She could only finish fourth there but chasing was always going to be her game given her size and scope.

She is 8-1 joint-favourite for the Racing Post Arkle in March with most firms, although Ladbrokes make her their 6-1 clear favourite ahead of Fakir D'Oudairies.

Paul Townend, who was on board for the wide-margin victory at Cheltenham, believes Laurina has what it takes to make a real name for herself over fences.

"It will be interesting to see Laurina over fences, but she is a big imposing mare and I don't think chasing will do any harm to her. In fact, I think it could improve her," Townend said in his Ladbrokes blog.

"It's exciting to get her back on the track and over a fence. Obviously Minella Indo is the standout horse and sets the standard. Hopefully we can get a clear round of jumping and do everything right, the mares allowance will be a big help to us. I think she could have a big future over fences.

"She hasn't jumped a fence in public yet, so it would be a bold shout to talking about races at Cheltenham for her now. Lets get this out of the way first. I do think she has a big future over fences, though."

Last season's Albert Bartlett winner Minella Indo is a 10-1 shot for the RSA Chase, with only Champ shorter than him in the market, and he looks every inch a chaser.

"We’re looking forward to seeing him over fences," said trainer Henry de Bromhead. "He takes plenty of work so might need a run or two to get him going. He’s a very tough horse and it was fantastic to see him back up his Albert Bartlett win when he also landed a Grade 1 at Punchestown. He seems in really good form."

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