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2015 Mares Hurdle

Old Vic

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The OLBG Mares’ Hurdle is being run for the first time as a Grade One contest and has attracted a record 48 entries (previous highest 36 in 2013). There is sure to be a new name on the roll of honour with record-breaking six-time winner Quevega now retired.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Quevega, looks sure to play a major role again in 2015 with Ireland’s champion Jump trainer accounting for more entries than any other handler, nine in total. These are headed by Annie Power, who is clear favourite at around Evens with most bookmakers. The seven-year-old won her first 10 starts before only finding More Of That too strong in last season’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Other interesting contenders from the Mullins stable include last year’s runner-up Glens Melody, Lyrical Theatre, who has landed four of her five starts in good style, and the unbeaten Grade Three scorer Morning Run.

The strongest opposition to another Mullins success could come from Aurore D’Estruval, trained by North Yorkshire-based John Quinn. The five-year-old began the year with an impressive success in the Listed OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle at Wetherby on November 1 before finishing second to Irving in the Grade One StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. She got back to winning ways last time out with a comfortable two-length victory over Dark Spirit (Evan Williams) in a Listed event at Sandown on January 3, when stepping up to two and a half miles for the first time. She is currently second favourite at around the 4/1 mark in the ante-post market.

Quinn reported: “We are very pleased with Aurore D’Estruval. She is in good fettle and won’t run again before Cheltenham.

“I was very happy at Sandown. The ground was barely raceable but she proved she gets the trip and we know she is better on nice ground.

“She is a good mare, who is young and going forward. She has improved and will go to Cheltenham with a decent chance.”

Two decent contenders from smaller stables are Carole’s Spirit (Robert Walford), an impressive eight-length winner on her seasonal reappearance at Kempton in November, and Carrigmoorna Rock (Robert Tyner), an easy winner of a Grade Three mares’ event at Leopardstown over Christmas.

The third and fourth from last year’s race, L’Unique (Alan King) and Hidden Identity (Tim Vaughan), are entered again, while Nicky Henderson’s two entries are Polly Peachum, successful at Cheltenham’s April Meeting last season in the Listed OLBG.com Supports Mares' Jump Racing Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, and Mayfair Music, a Listed scorer at Doncaster last season.

Britain’s champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls has one entry, Tara Point, who has gained three victories in four starts including a Listed race at Taunton on December 30.


Read more at http://cheltenham.thejockeyclub.co....or-ladbrokes-world-hurdle#vTMT48wumhHTr7hT.99
 
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Mullins could run a good race amongst his own

8 entries

Willie Mullins IRE - Analifet, Annie Power, Gitane Du Berlais, Glens Melody, Lyrical Theatre, Morning Run, Upsie, Vroum Vroum Mag



3 entries

Alan King - L'Unique, Nyanza, The Pirate's Queen



2 entries

Harry Fry - Bitofapuzzle, Blue Buttons

Jessica Harrington IRE - Keppols Queen, Rock On The Moor

Nicky Henderson - Mayfair Music, Polly Peachum

Fergal O'Brien - Jennys Surprise, The Govaness



1 entry
Kim Bailey - Emily Gray

Colin Bowe IRE - Little King Robin

Peter Bowen - Land Of Vic

Henry Daly - Kayfleur

Chris Down - Loyaute

Tim Easterby - Run Ructions Run

Gordon Elliott IRE - Clara Mc Cloud

Jarlath Fahey IRE - Jennies Jewel

Paddy Fegan IRE - Melbourne Lady

Warren Greatrex - Centasia

Martin Keighley - Flementine

Charlie Mann - Sureness

Tony Martin IRE - Busted Tycoon

Donald McCain - Doyly Carte

Anthony Middleton - Va'Vite

Neil Mulholland - Pass The Time

Margaret Mullins IRE - Princess Leya

Paul Nicholls - Tara Point

Ross O'Sullivan IRE - Baie Des Iles

David Pipe - Swing Bowler

John Quinn - Aurore D'Estruval

Oliver Sherwood - Mischievous Milly

Dan Skelton - Fairytale Theatre

Jamie Snowden - Rhythm Star

Robert Tyner IRE - Carrigmoorna Rock

Tim Vaughan - Hidden Identity

Robert Walford - Carole's Spirit

Paul Webber - Koolala

Evan Williams - Dark Spirit
 
Ruby rides Anafilet today at Doncaster...would probably be Bryan Coopers ride at the Festival. He fancies her.


Analifet is owned by Gigginstown House Stud, but with their number one, Bryan Cooper, opting to stay at home at Navan, I have been given the call by Willie Mullins.

The plan was to fly from Dublin this morning at 8.00 into Leeds-Bradford. Then it was a matter of making the short 45 minutes hop to the course and hoping for the best.

I went to Doncaster once last season, but that was for a certainty, Annie Power, and Analifet obviously isn’t in that league.

She does, however, have a real chance. The five-year-old fell two out in the race won by Carrigmoorna Rock at Leopardstown at Christmas and appeared to be going strongly at the time. Her work is very good right now.
 
If there is a Cheltenham winner out tomorrow might be this un :D

After race at Down Royal Fri, 31st Oct, 2014 (1st) She's improving all the time. She's a very slick jumper and is very sharp. She was a bit novicey at the last. W P Mullins
After race at Tipperary Tue, 7th Oct, 2014 (1st) It's great to get that out of the way. It was great experience for her to settle in behind and she would have learned a lot. They went a right good gallop and it was no cakewalk for her. Ruby said that she jumped well apart from the first. She has done nothing to suggest that she isn't as good as we think she is. W P Mullins
After race at Wexford Sat, 30th Aug, 2014 (1st) She is a very good mare and she did what we expected there. We said we'd keep it simple. She has a high cruising speed and I think she is a high class winter mare. I'm not sure where she will go now. She has won three bumpers and not many mares do that. W P Mullins
After race at Down Royal Fri, 20th Jun, 2014 (1st) I didn't want to use the whip on her as she had been quite keen as someone clipped her heel after a furlong. I though it was a good performance as she ran off the bend. We had her brother and sister - Morning Royalty and Morning Supreme - and she's my favourite of the three. I wouldn't be afraid to go anywhere with her against mares. She might go for the bumper that Annie Power won at Galway. The owner Henry Murphy is from Wexford and he bred her. He's a very good breeder. W P Mullins
After race at Punchestown Fri, 2nd May, 2014 (1st) She'd been showing a bit at home all the time. You never know what's in these sort of races but she ground it out well. I thought she was beaten a furlong out but Patrick said when he changed his stick she went away again. W P Mullins
 
If there is a Cheltenham winner out tomorrow might be this un :D

After race at Down Royal Fri, 31st Oct, 2014 (1st) She's improving all the time. She's a very slick jumper and is very sharp. She was a bit novicey at the last. W P Mullins
After race at Tipperary Tue, 7th Oct, 2014 (1st) It's great to get that out of the way. It was great experience for her to settle in behind and she would have learned a lot. They went a right good gallop and it was no cakewalk for her. Ruby said that she jumped well apart from the first. She has done nothing to suggest that she isn't as good as we think she is. W P Mullins
After race at Wexford Sat, 30th Aug, 2014 (1st) She is a very good mare and she did what we expected there. We said we'd keep it simple. She has a high cruising speed and I think she is a high class winter mare. I'm not sure where she will go now. She has won three bumpers and not many mares do that. W P Mullins
After race at Down Royal Fri, 20th Jun, 2014 (1st) I didn't want to use the whip on her as she had been quite keen as someone clipped her heel after a furlong. I though it was a good performance as she ran off the bend. We had her brother and sister - Morning Royalty and Morning Supreme - and she's my favourite of the three. I wouldn't be afraid to go anywhere with her against mares. She might go for the bumper that Annie Power won at Galway. The owner Henry Murphy is from Wexford and he bred her. He's a very good breeder. W P Mullins
After race at Punchestown Fri, 2nd May, 2014 (1st) She'd been showing a bit at home all the time. You never know what's in these sort of races but she ground it out well. I thought she was beaten a furlong out but Patrick said when he changed his stick she went away again. W P Mullins

Mullins has umpteen entries, let's wait for the day and lump on your fancies
 
y weekend, says Ruby Walsh.

The big race at Fairyhouse is a Grade 3 for mares and I’m on Morning Run for Willie Mullins, who will be attempting to keep her unbeaten record intact.

She is five from five, three of her successes coming in bumpers and two over flights. I was aboard for the hurdle races and she was especially impressive last time when scoring at Down Royal.

Morning Run beat Carrigmoorna Rock by seven and a half lengths that day and, on the same terms now, you’d think there is no reason why the placings should be reversed.

But life is never quite as simple as that. Carrigmoorna Rock has clearly made significant improvement in the meantime, winning at Newbury and then at Leopardstown at Christmas.

Morning Run has been off for 92 days, but that’s no great concern. She had a bit of a bad scope in early December and Willie just gave her time.

Niall Kelly rides her every day and he’s happy. Willie is also happy, so that makes Ruby happy. My one worry is that she is untried on the ground, but if handling it will be hard to beat.
 
Paz is right. Morning Arun being aimed at grade 1 at Fairyhiuse Easter Festival.

Mullins said: "She was coming back from a bit of a setback as she had a cold and missed Christmas. I wondered if this was too soon and I was delighted with the way the two of them ran.

"There was a doubt about running either of them, but there wasn't much else, bar going to England with them, so we said we'd run the two and take the chance.

"This mare (Morning Run) seems to be going from strength to strength. I'd say we'll come back here for the Grade One with the two of them rather than going to Cheltenham. That looks the shrewder plan."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Morning Run is a top-price 12/1 for the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham >> <a href="http://t.co/8tuAiAYISs">http://t.co/8tuAiAYISs</a></p>— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtTheRaces/status/562265984115806208">February 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Analifet ran again today, well held in second found zilch off the bridle, wouldn't back her at the fez with monopoly money myself
 
WPM

Annie Power: She has hit every target we wanted her to hit since her setback. We were just getting her ready for the Hatton’s Grace when I had a bone scan done and it showed a pre-stress fracture. I might still have been able to run her and win it, but the advice was that if she did run, it might fracture. We pulled the plug there and said we’d start again on January 1 and that if we couldn’t start again then we wouldn’t be going to Cheltenham. We’ll look at the World Hurdle but I’m aiming her at the Mares’ Hurdle at the moment. She showed last year that she is well up to winning the Mares’ Hurdle, but if they keep falling out of the Stayers’, who knows? She only stayed over hurdles to be aimed at the Champion Hurdle, but the injury took the Champion out of the equation.

Glens Melody: She’s in great form, she ran a fantastic trial in Warwick. She goes straight for the Mares’ Hurdle. She has been a little unlucky to be up against some good mares, but she went very close in the race last year, Annie Power has had her issues this season and she might get it right this year.
 
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Little King Robin is on a course of antibiotics after scoping dirty following her defeat at Punchestown on Wednesday.

Colin Bowe's stable star had been placed in the Morgiana and Hatton's Grace Hurdle earlier in the season and was making her return after a break.

She could, however, only finish fifth to Rock On The Moor in a mares' hurdle over two and a half miles.

The race was intended as a prep run for the OLBG Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but plans are now up in the air.

"She scoped very dirty and had an inflamed throat," said Bowe.

"It puts a dampener on the whole thing as we went for a prep run.

"She's on antibiotics now so it will be harder to prepare her. We'll just see what happens.

"Cheltenham depends on whether she has just come down with something or whether she is through the worst of it.

"We'll know a lot more in five to six days."
 
Polly Peachum

She goes for the Mares' Hurdle and is in good form actually. She goes to Kempton on Wednesday for a piece of work.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Aurore D'Estruval out of Mares's Hurdle. That, my friends, is the proverbial licence to print money <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/anniepower?src=hash">#anniepower</a></p>— Ian Gaughran (@IanGox10) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanGox10/status/570549907431538688">February 25, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Emmett Kennedy reported at Cork that Ricci told him AP won't run here. :confused:
 
Mick Fitzgerald is very sweet on Glenn's Melody.

I backed Glens Melody weeks ago ew but I still think she's the bet of the race. At 9/2 she has to be the closest thing to a bet to nothing as you'll see at the fez, in better form this year than last, where she gave Que Vega a scare, and would have been right on the hocks of Kitten Rock last time barring a mistake at the last, the smart Mullins double on the first day could be ew on this girl and Hurricane Fly at 8's
 
I backed Glens Melody weeks ago ew but I still think she's the bet of the race. At 9/2 she has to be the closest thing to a bet to nothing as you'll see at the fez, in better form this year than last, where she gave Que Vega a scare, and would have been right on the hocks of Kitten Rock last time barring a mistake at the last, the smart Mullins double on the first day could be ew on this girl and Hurricane Fly at 8's

Couldn't agree more Mr Mc. 9/2 will be a dream price if they switch Annie to the WH.