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Turned out the decision to keep Impaire Et Passe as a champion hurdler has somewhat backfired.
Might as well shut this thread unless something happens to CH. Obviously wouldn’t wish it on him. CH beats State Man and you’ll probably get 5 runners. Tough balancing act between getting these superstars and competitive racing. Sport is about competition not superstars. You can’t sell Argentina vs Iran (or any other footballing minnow). Nobody cares that Messi is on show.
Just to clarify State Man isn’t Iran or whoever, hes very good and the only true barometer to CH’s ability. Fair play to Mullins for keeping him over hurdles. CH beating County Hurdle horses like Sleepy and Rubaud off level weights is like the Argentina Iran thing.
Doing a bit of tidying up I cashed out Zarak the Brave (oddly for no loss as Paddys just forgot about him I think). If he’s good enough to go here, looking at his rating he’s more likely to go to the County, having proved he can carry a bit of weight through a rough race and up a hill. Five year olds have a decent record in the County too.
Left without a bet in this now but even I am not bonkers enough to try to back something at this stage.Going to be a cracking renewal when CH withdraws on the morning of the race to leave it a three-runner affair.
At this rate I’m tempted to back Totterdown ew on the ante post.
Mares Hurdle been confirmed this year. Right decision. Though that may be my pocket talking ;o)
Whilst I agree with Steve Mellish that there are too many races at the festival these days, the Mares’ Hurdle is an exception.
Without the improved mares’ programme, of which this race is the crowning glory, mares would just be packed off to the breeding barn and we wouldn’t have had some of these top class racemares of the last decade or so.
I can understand connections going for a soft option they can win but Day 1 of the festival could look like this:
Marine Nationale hacks up at odds on in the Arkle (if he is as good as his connections believe).
Constitution Hill hacks up at odds on in the Champion Hurdle.
Lossiemouth hacks up at odds on in the Mares Hurdle.
I can’t wait…
And who can forget Envoi Allen in the Marsh Chase at 4/9.
And Annie Power in the Mares Hurdle at 1/2.
It ain’t over until its over.Agree – but it is undeniable there are more odds on favourites at the festival since its expansion to four days.
The Mares Hurdle should not be there. It dilutes the Champion, to the extent that in 2020 the best hurdler (possibly the best two) was not even in the race.
If there must be a Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham it should be a handicap, not a Grade 1.
The top mares should be running in the Champion. They get the allowance and they can win, as Flakey Dove, Annie Power, Epatante and Honeysuckle have shown.
OK, a mare would struggle to beat Constitution Hill – but he will not be around forever, unlike the issue of the Mares race diluting the Champion, which will.
“The Mares Hurdle should not be there. It dilutes the Champion, to the extent that in 2020 the best hurdler (possibly the best two) was not even in the race.”
Honeysuckle was still not the finished article and jumping a bit high over hurdles back then. I think she would have been third in that champion hurdle. Benie never ran in a 2 mile hurdle race in her life.
You could take the opposite view and say that the mare’s race can tee them up nicely for the following year if they’re good enough…and it may actually strengthen the champion hurdle. Being the lynchpin of the mares’ programme, it keeps loads of mares in training that otherwise would have been hustled off to the breeding shed the moment they had black type of any sort. From there, the very best can develop and go on to the open races against the geldings (leading to the whiny chorus of “It’s not faaaaaairrr that they get 7lb” when the absolute cream of mare crop at the peak of their powers manage to win an open race).
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