*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.
Cheltenham Festival 2023 is six weeks away and racing fans will be looking for a little bit of insight into every race, so we’ve got jump jockey icon turned tactical guru Ruby Walsh and top pundit Rory Delargy with us every week to hopefully get you more bang for your buck.
The Mares’ Hurdle seems a wide open affair on Tuesday, March 14th but who do you fancy?
Our dynamic duo will be doing weekly ante-post podcasts to deliver their early thoughts on every race – amazing, eh?
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RUBY WALSH: Mares Hurdle Preview
If Honeysuckle runs well in the Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday she’s unlikely to go for the Mares’ Hurdle. When you look at the weekend just gone and you watch Echoes In Rain beat Cash Back, Meet And Greet and Bob Olinger and you watch Epatante up at Doncaster, you start to really realise the gulf in class between Grade 1 and coming down to what is Grade 2 and Grade 3 level.
Echoes in Rain was very good at Naas. Some might think that she was flattered by the opposition but I wouldn’t say that. Again, it was the class of contest. Cash Back went a decent enough gallop in front. Echoes in Rain was coming off the back of a heavy fall at Fairyhouse behind Teahupoo but I thought she jumped really well, she travelled really well and then she absolutely bolted in.
I actually thought she was running a really good race when she fell behind Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
She was only just beaten in the Irish Cesarewitch by Waterville, so she’s a good filly. I don’t think 2m 4f is a worry, she looked like she wanted further when you watch her in her 2m Grade 1 races. Both Paul Townend and Patrick Mullins thought she wants to be going up in trip
Brandy Love seems to be going well at home. I’d be a bit luke-warm about her prospects here. She’s going to be up against some high quality opposition. There’s always the possibility that she could run in the Quevega Hurdle at Punchestown going right-handed. That isn’t ideal but that would be about the only option she would have if she misses Cheltenham.
She has plenty of work done however and all her form looks rock solid. Obviously with Love Envoi, she was beaten by Allegorie De Vassy but she kind of threw that race away. Then she beat Love Envoi at Punchestown. That said Love Envoi was coming there off the back of winning at Cheltenham whereas Brandy Love had missed Cheltenham so you’d always give the advantage to the mare having a home game, as there a little bit fresher.
She’s a very good mare, she’s making good progress, I wouldn’t be surprised if she runs in the Quevega Hurdle at Punchestown.
Love Envoi is improving, you would have to think at a mark of 147 even getting 7lb off the geldings that’s not going to be quite good enough for a Champion Hurdle, but she’s a very good mare. I thought she absolutely bolted in at Sandown when she beat Martello Sky.
You can excuse her in Fairyhouse when Brandy Love beat her, she had won at Cheltenham before that when she beat Ahorsewithnoname. She’s done very little wrong. She even looks a better mare this year than she looked last year. She’s a huge runner in this. Huge.
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RUBY WALSH: Mares Hurdle Verdict
You could mention a few more Willie Mullins’ to be honest. Shewearsitwell obviously looks like she’s turned a corner and is going in the right direction after winning her last two. Look at her results, she’s won four of her last nine out and was never lower than fifth in the ones she’s finished, so she’s definitely on the up. She won a Pertemps Qualifier and that seemed to give her confidence. She went to Leopardstown and beat Queens Brook as well.
Telmesomethinggirl could drop back from fences for this race, I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. She was travelling really well when she fell last year. Look at here previous results too, first in her last race, second in the one before and was third and fifth in her other two most recent finished. She’s also improving.
Queens Brook seems to flop when she’s a short-priced favourite and then bounce back when she’s much bigger in the betting and we’ve all written her off. She could be in the reckoning here too.
Willie also has Gauloise and the Skeltons’ Molly Ollys Wishes gets an admirable mention, but if I was nailing my colours to the mast right now, it’s Echoes In Rain for me.
Ruby’s Mares Hurdle Antepost Tips
Echoes In Rain – Mares’ Hurdle – Tuesday, 16th March, 16:10
*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.
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