Mares Hurdle Guide 2022

A tearaway runner so far this season Western Victory will be sure to turn this into a good stamina test. She's unlikely to remain clear, as she's been caught and well beaten the last twice.

However she has won a few decent races early season, over 2m and 3m, so she's not short of pace or stamina. She's tactically fascinating, but might lack the class to hold off the charge.

Winner at the course last time out when gamely making all in the Relkeel hurdle from solid horses. She is another in and out sort for Willie Mullins, but she has finished a close second in this race in the past. Has bundles off class, but she's hard to predict.

Winner of the Martin Pipe in 2020, Indefatigable has been fairly in and out thereafter. She has won a few nice races since, but she has blown out on several occasions.

She was well beaten last time out in a listed race won by Marie's Rock, she'll have work to do to turn that form around.

She does seem to like this course though *long galloping straight* and she might go well at a price but hard to recommend on the basis of her patchy profile. 

Very easy winner of last year's Coral Cup, Paul Hennessey's mare hasn't really kicked on as he'd have hoped since. Her best performance was the Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown splitting, Royal Kahala, and Telmesomethinggirl.

Though she failed to build on that next time out finishing a well beaten fifth of five.

She might come alive at Cheltenham, as it is horses for courses, but you'd be brave to trust her form this year and she does seem an in and out sort.

A talented horse on her day, Marie's Rock has been in good form this season. She has won two starts and was pulled up after being badly hampered in the Lanzarote hurdle at Kempton.

She will need to up her form to the next level, and she's a tricky ride, but she clearly has lots of ability. Interesting.

Fortunate winner of the Triumph Hurdle, Burning Victory has been frustrating to follow. After the Triumph Hurdle (2020) she has ran 8 times in the lead up to this race.

Winning twice on the flat in France, and finally winning again over hurdles, last time out beating Queens Brook.

She is not the best hurdler by any stretch of the imagination, but looked ok last time out.She will need to continue to jump fine to have any sort of say here. If she jumps well she should be bang there.

This has been Henry's long time target for Telmesomethinggirl, after her excellent performance in the Mares Novice hurdle at the Festival last year.

She showed her well being by finishing a close third to Royal Kahala and Heaven Help Us, when suffering interference round the bend.

Her record this season certainly won't look appealing, but it's worth remembering Henry's horses have been running poorly and this particular horses' season revolves around this race.

With Henry's back in some kind of form, she might prove hard to beat.

She has fine festival form, finishing 3rd to Ferny Hollow and Appreciate It.

She finished a length and a half behind Burning Victory last time out, but her trainer, Gordon Elliot, insists she's hard to get a1, and that run would bring her on a load.

She has very good form and she will be bang there in the finish.

Last year's Pertemps winner, Mrs Milner won her first start this season in a listed race, relatively easily. She then failed to back that up in a disappointing effort at Newbury in the Long Distance hurdle.

She's high class on her day. Off since November, chance if she's fully wound up.

All her starts have been over fences so far this season, so this step back to hurdles represents an almighty ask in much tougher company too.

Her record is moderate (3/8) but she does lack quality form that could see her in with any sort of a shout here.

Almost an impossible task on the face of it.

Admirable servant for trainer Lucy Wadham, Martello Sky has done nothing but improve this season, taking her career record to 8/12.

She's 2/4 at Cheltenham so the track poses no issues. In her last start at Cheltenham she beat Indefatigable by a neck, but was value for the winning distance. She's a solid horse and she might provide an upset here.

Definite contender. 

It's fair to say that Echoes In Rain has been disappointing this season, after promising so much last season.

She was pitched into the top level on her seasonal reappearance and finished well beaten behind Sharjah and Zanahiyr. She was disappointing again next time out behind the same rivals.

Last time out though we did see that she saw out her race fine - finishing a respectable third to Zanahiyr and Honeysuckle.

If she can relax she has serious ability. Question marks on her temperament.