Willie Mullins double-handed with Getaway Gorgeous and Hook Up at Gowran Park

BetVictor Pat Walsh Memorial Irish EBF Mares Hurdle | 2m | RTV

This is a competitive contest with solid mares Getaway Gorgeous, Hook Up and Western Victory setting a decent standard for the improvers Betty Zane and Say Goodbye to aim at.

The Willie Mullins-trained Getaway Gorgeous and Hook Up are the obvious ones to start with. Getaway Gorgeous has to give at least 7lb to all of her rivals but she did manage to give Western Victory 4lb and a beating at Killarney earlier in the season.

Hook Up provides Danny Mullins with a good chance of getting a big winner on his return to the saddle and a reproduction of her effort to finish third in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse in the spring would make her hard to beat.

There is no doubt Western Victory is nicely treated by the conditions of the race. She carries the highest rating but gets 7lb off Getaway Gorgeous.

Betty Zane has been thrown into the deep end but rates a nice mare for Ciaran Murphy, while Gordon Elliott's Say Goodbye is quite interesting.

She seemed to be outstayed by French Made over 2m4f at Listowel but that is strong form in the context of this race and she gets weight from the main protagonists.

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Getaway Gorgeous and Hook Up
My two are in good form and this type of race should suit them. However, the conditions of the race suit Western Victory and she may be difficult to beat.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Make My Heart Fly and Say Goodbye
It's a competitive race. Say Goodbye lacks experience but it would be great if we could get a bit of black type. Make My Heart Fly never lets us down and always runs a big race.

Declan Queally, trainer of The Getaway Star and Western Victory
I ride Western Victory myself and she stays well. She's had a break after Galway and we're hoping for a good run. The Getaway Star had a break after Limerick and we're hoping this race will put her in a nice place for the Grade 3 novice at Down Royal. There's much of a muchness between them all.

Ciaran Murphy, trainer of Betty Zane
I'd be pretty confident of getting black type with her; if not in this race, at some point in the season. She did it well at Ballinrobe and should come on a lot for that as she wasn't completely wound up. She has solid bumper form and there's a lovely programme for those mares. We like her.

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