SOME would have you believe the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle waters down the Cheltenham Festival like the beer in Del Boy’s local.
In similar fashion to the regulars in the Nag’s Head, the traditionalists nod in agreement when bar chat turns to adding races to jumping’s greatest meeting.
The general consensus is that the creation of a race purely for those horses of a female persuasion has had the most detrimental effect on two of the showpiece prizes.
Runners that would line-up in the Champion Hurdle or the Stayers’ Hurdle are, it is claimed, diverted to an easier halfway house of a distance over 2m4f.
The truth is, the introduction of the Mares’ Hurdle 12 years ago, has had quite the opposite effect.
It’s presence actually strengthens those championship contests.
It’s taken a while for that to become obvious but jump racing fans are now enjoying some of the greatest mares to ever grace the sport.
If it wasn’t for the Mares’ Hurdle and an extensive mares programme, it’s likely we wouldn’t have even seen the likes of Quevega, Annie Power and Vroum Vroum Mag race in Britain or Ireland at all.
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2014When Quevega brought the house down with a record-breaking six-timer…
6⃣ days and counting until The Festival™️ presented by @MagnersUK pic.twitter.com/i1NkDHAVZt
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 6, 2019
To have the incentive of a Grade One prize during the most important four days of the National Hunt season is enough of a carrot to persuade the biggest-hitting owners to splash out to buy Europe’s best mares.
Others that might have headed off to stud for breeding without seeing the racecourse are now taking in a career on the track. Those horses would have been lost to these shores if it wasn’t for the Mares’ Hurdle.
Those that argued against it’s introduction and still sneer at it’s presence on the opening day of the Festival would have you believe there was a clutch of top mares taking their chance in the Champion or Stayers’ in the years leading up to 2008. What utter nonsense.
In the four years before mares got their own Grade One prize only owner-bred Asian Maze representing the female horses in the Champion Hurdle.
In fact, from 1997 to 2007 only Like A Butterfly went off shorter than 12-1 in the Festival’s top hurdling prize.
It was a similar story in the Stayers’ Hurdle. There were three mares line-up in the three-mile championship hurdle with Solerina – another owner-bred mare – sent off the shortest price at 14-1.
Last year, Apple’s Jade and Laurina – both mares – went off first and second favourite for the Unibet Champion with Verdana Blue also chancing her arm having won the Unibet Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
This season, looks likely to be similar with Epatante heading the betting after landing this term’s Christmas Hurdle and unbeaten Irish hurdler Honeysuckle second-best on the ante-post lists ahead of her next run in this weekend’s Irish Champion Hurdle.
Benie Des Dieux – winner of the 2018 Mares’ Hurdle and an unlucky last-hurdle faller last year – is the main threat to Paisley Park in the Stayers’ according the betting with Laurina also in the top handful.
Of course, they could all turn up in the race labelled ‘mares only’ but, not only could that be considered the tougher option, it would make it one of THE races of the Festival with the likes of last year’s winner Roksana, Grand National runner-up Magic Of Light and granite-tough Lady Buttons all possibles. Top-class pair Apple’s Jade and Verdana Blue are others in the amazing mares’ mix.
These horses just wouldn’t be racing on these shores if it wasn’t for the ‘David Nicholson’. Anyone thinking this race has watered down the Festival really is having a mare.
And, with the Dublin Racing Festival taking place at Leopardstown this weekend, they’ve been queuing up to point out the lack of British runners.
Of course, there’s not going to be a rush to take on the top Irish-trained stars on their home ground little more than a month before the Cheltenham Festival.
Last year, La Bague Au Roi – another mare – made sure British horses made their mark in the Grade Ones when landing the Flogas Novice Chase and she could be one of the few to cross the Irish Sea again this weekend.
What a star – La Bague Au Roi makes all in the Flogas Novice Chase! @wgreatrexracing @LeopardstownRC #DRF pic.twitter.com/MRAedZcoOz
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 3, 2019
That’s down in no small part to the Mares’ Hurdle so, instead of scoffing on the second Tuesday in March, raise a glass to one of the most important races of the greatest Festival.
