'This is her season's target' - who's in hot pursuit of the £75,000 Silver Vase?

bet365 Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares' Chase | 2m4½f | 4yo+ | ITV4/Sky

It may say December 29 on the calendar but this is Gold Cup day for Zambella, the biggest date of the season for a prolific mare.

The seven-year-old who was bought for €100,000 in 2019 will take her earnings for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede past £200,000 if she can repeat last year's win in the bet365 Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares' Chase.

And she has been aimed at this 2m4f contest all season by Nigel Twiston-Davies, for whom she scored a sixth Listed success at Carlisle last month.

"This is her Gold Cup," said the owners' racing manager Anthony Bromley. "It's the most valuable mares' chase apart from the one at the Cheltenham Festival. It's a Listed race and they can be worth £25,000 or £30,000 but this is £75,000.

"Her optimum trip is two and a half miles – three miles stretches her and she's never won over it, and two miles is a bit sharp. So this is her season's target.

"It's a competitive race and tight on the ratings but we've beaten some of these before and Nigel is happy with her."

Annie Mc, who won this race in 2020, was 24 lengths adrift of Zambella in third place at Carlisle on her first outing for nearly a year.

Trainer Jonjo O'Neill said: "She ran all right at Carlisle, she probably needed the run and I hope she's come on from it and can run another good race."

Annie Mc (left) beat Zambella at Warwick in February 2021Credit: Edward Whitaker

Pink Legend was second in the Grade 2 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase at Cheltenham last March – with Zambella fourth – and reverts to racing against her own sex after finishing sixth in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.

"It's nice to be able to run her against mares," said trainer Venetia Williams. "She was pitched in at the deep end in the Peterborough Chase. I hope she'll be competitive."

Read Thursday's previews:

1.10 Leopardstown: Mares' Hurdle runner-up Queens Brook out to book her festival ticket in style

1.45 Leopardstown: National Hunt Chase favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil the one to beat in Grade 1 test

2.20 Leopardstown: State Man v Sharjah v Vauban - who comes out on top in a magic Matheson?

2.40 Doncaster: can Gesskille make amends after twice finishing second over the National fences?

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