Shattered Love out to break the hearts of her rivals
T.A. Morris Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase (Listed) | 2m4f | 4yo+ | ATR
Cheltenham Festival and dual Grade 1-winning chaser Shattered Love sets the bar impeccably high in this Listed Chase.
A brilliant winner of the JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last season, Shattered Love confirmed herself a top-notch prospect for the current campaign when second to Snow Falcon on her reappearance in a Grade 2 second-season novice at Down Royal earlier this month, and this looks a much easier assignment.
Watch: Shattered Love win the JLT Novices' Chase
Officially rated 10lbs higher than her nearest rival Youcantcallherthat, the Gordon Elliott-trained Shattered Love faces that challenger off level weights and looks as though she'll be extremely difficult to beat.
Elliott acknowledged as much, and said: "Shattered Love is a good mare and I'd say she's entitled to win the race on ratings but she'll want a bit of rain overnight."
Elliott added: "Dinaria Des Obeaux didn't jump great when second at Wexford and, if she can jump a bit better, hopefully she can get herself involved."
Denis Hogan's Youcantcallherthat went from strength to strength last season winning five times over fences and, while she couldn't take advantage of her mark of just 87 in a handicap hurdle at Wexford last month, more can be expected of her back over fences.
No trainer has a better recent record in the race than Willie Mullins, who has won five of the last eight runnings, with mares like Blazing Tempo (2011 and 2012) and Vroum Vroum Mag (2015).
Meanwhile, brothers Seamus and Peter Fahey will be hoping to sneak a bit of black-type with Polar Present and Timeforwest respectively.
"Polar Present will need to bring her A-game and a few of the others would probably have to disappoint if she's to finish in the frame. We're hoping to get some black-type with her and, fingers crossed, it doesn't rain," Seamus said.
Speaking about Timeforwest, Peter added: "We don't have her that long but she's going well and it would be great if she could get some black-type. It's a very good race."
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Published on 14 November 2018inPreviews
Last updated 15:12, 15 November 2018
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