Marie's Rock back on song in Warfield - but connections fear 'everybody is fighting for second' behind Lossiemouth

She was not as impressive as Lossiemouth but Marie's Rock staked her claim to being her main rival at the Cheltenham Festival with a typically gutsy success in the SBK Warfield Mares' Hurdle.

Saturday's racing left the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle looking a closed shop for Rich Ricci's outstanding five-year-old, who is a best-priced 4-5 favourite after her stunning reappearance success in the Unibet Hurdle.

But Marie's Rock sprang an 18-1 surprise in the festival race in 2022 and had her odds of emulating that victory two years on cut to 7-1 (from 8-1) by Paddy Power after battling to hold off You Wear It Well by a length and a quarter under James Bowen in a Grade 2 salvaged from last weekend's cancelled card at Ascot.

The nine-year-old's ninth career success took her earnings to nearly £330,000 and Tom Palin, racing manager to owners Middleham Park Racing, said: "She retains every bit of fight and enthusiasm that she's always had. James said as soon as You Wear It Well came up to her, she wasn't going to lay down and let her past."

This race was over 3m compared to the 2m4f of the Mares' Hurdle, and Palin added: "She's not a three-miler, that's not her optimum but we've got away with it. 

"We'll go for the Mares' Hurdle. There is the Listed race at Warwick which she won on the way last year but that's only two weeks away now as this was rearranged and it will probably come too soon."

Lossiemouth's stablemate Ashroe Diamond also threw her hat into the Mares' Hurdle ring with success at Doncaster on Saturday. Palin said: "We knew a lot of questions would be answered this weekend, with a lot of horses staking their claim.

"Personally I thought Lossiemouth put up a Champion Hurdle performance yesterday and I hope Rich Ricci thinks the same! She's going to be a very tough nut to crack so I think everybody is fighting for second and third and we go there looking for that."  

Jamie Snowden is another who is looking forward to the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham and he was not downbeat at You Wear It Well's defeat.

He said: "They went no gallop and then sprinted. She was upsides at the last and got beaten by a better one on the day on the ground. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't take the winner on again at Cheltenham."

Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (4.10 Cheltenham, March 12)

Paddy Power: 4-6 Lossiemouth, 7-2 Ashroe Diamond, 6 Gala Marceau, 7 Marie's Rock, 8 Jetara, 10 Echoes In Rain, Love Envoi, 12 West Balboa, 14 Luccia, Magical Zoe, You Wear It Well, 16 bar.

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