Mares' Novices' Hurdle Guide 2022

Another flat recruit who was only seen once on the level when coming last of 5 over a mile back in 2017.
She then had a mammoth break before making her debut over hurdles in November of last year.

Winning handily at a big price she’s since tried her hand in deeper waters but has failed to uphold her form. Coming 4th in a listed race over 2 miles she failed to justify favouritism.

Taken up in grade again she finished well behind Allegorie De Vassy in a Grade 3 she looks to be lacking quality in this kind of race.

Another of the Willie Mullins battalion, Statuaire carries a 2lbs penalty as the mare has already won a Grade 1 novice hurdle this season.

After failing to win over hurdles in France she made the switch over to Ireland and won at the first time of asking by a mammoth 23 lengths in her maiden back in May of last year. She then managed to handle her penalty and drop back in trip to win again.

Contesting the Royal Bond she just got up late to chin My Mate Mozzie on the line.

Kept at Grade 1 company she was beaten out of sight by Sir Gerhard at Leopardstown. Going against her own sex will help and she’s already a proven Grade 1 winner.

The stable first string for Nicky Henderson, 7 year old Ahorsewithnoname was a recruit from the flat who won well in her last two starts over 12 furlongs.

Debuting over hurdles in a listed novice event, she clearly was well thought of and finished a good 2nd despite conceding experience.

Only seen once more that season being well beaten behind Gowel Road, she had the summer off and returned to racing still a novice.

She remains a maiden over hurdles but has run well this season. Coming 2nd to Nina The Terrier at Newbury, she then stepped into listed company again to be 2nd behind Elle Est Belle.

Last seen coming 3rd over 2 miles at Taunton in a listed race, she’s been running to a decent level but would need to take a major step forward here. She’s vulnerable to a young improper.

Another recruit from the flat, Mighty Blue has had a good few outings on the flat and has won 3 of her outings on the level, gaining a respectable rating of 106. Most notable winning a listed fillies’ race over 1 mile and 6 furlongs.

She’s struggled to carry her form over to hurdles however and is 0 from 5 in her starts over timber. Coming 4th over 2 miles last season on debut, she then was only narrowly beaten by Gauloise in a listed race.

She was then a close 3rd place in this race last year only beaten just under 8 lengths. She’s only run once this season and was going well enough when unseating in a maiden at Naas.

From her run in this last season she’s seriously overpriced.

Trained by Martin Brassil, Choice Of Words had some smart form in bumpers last season and was a good 2nd to Grangee at the Punchestown festival.

Taken to hurdles she won at the first time of asking at a short price on soft ground at Galway. Stepped up in trip and taken to listed company she was well beaten by Party Central.

Her form has taken a dip since as she has since been beaten by Daly Tiger and Journey With Me.

She struggled to move up in grade but has run well against the boys recently. Coming back down in trip might help her but she has a bit to find.

Andrew Kinirons is represented by his dual purpose mare Hidden Land. The 5 year old has been mixing it between the flat and the jumps this season.

A consistent enough flat performer, she’s had 21 outings on the level having only won once and that coming on the all weather.

That has seen her garner a rating of 73 in the other code but she’s also had 4 outings over hurdles now.

A winner on hurdle debut back in July of last year, she captured a race at a mammoth 50/1 but has failed to land a blow since.

Being well beaten in handicaps off of owly looking marks wouldn’t give her much chance here.

Heading the market for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, Brandy Love won her point to point with ease before being picked up and sent for racing under rules.

Winning her bumper debut handily, she went off favourite for the grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival and did well to come 3rd behind Grangee.

Given a big break off, she came back in December to win her maiden hurdle over 2 miles at short odds impressively before contesting a grade 3 and coming a good 2nd to Allegorie De Vassy who doesn’t line up here.

Mullins tends to hold the cards in this race and she appears to be his ace.

A 6 year old second season novice hurdler for Gordon Elliott. She was well beaten in her bumper runs and got absolutely slammed by Brandy Love in her last bumper start.

She was then woeful in her maiden over hurdles and had a long break before trying jumping again. She shaped much better on her second start before getting off the mark at the third time of asking when winning a maiden at Bellewstown.

She hasn’t won since but has run very well in defeat a few times to be placed on all her outings this season. Most notably coming 2nd to Part Central at the DRF in a 2 mile handicap hurdle.

She has close linking form with Party Central and they ran off level weights at Leopardstown.

Gordon Elliott’s 6 year old mare Party Central has picked up plenty of experience under rules and has been improving rapidly.

She won her debut bumper before going mightily close in a listed race and a Grade 2 race. Narrowly being touched off by Grangee in the Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival before winning a listed event at the end of the season.

She’s taken to hurdles well, having won 3 of her 4 runs over timber. Taking her maiden, she was then well beaten by Impervious in a Grade 3 event.

She did frank that form however when winning a listed race over 2.5 ,miles and followed up with a great win in handicap company last time out.

Experienced and improving she looks to have a great chance.

Chris Honour and Bryan Carver team up with 5 year old Mayhem Mya.

A good bumper horse as a juvenile, she won her first two starts in bumpers and was only beaten in her third outing when coming 3rd to Lutteral Lad who ran well at the Aintree Grade 2 bumper at the end of the season.

With decent bumper form in the books last season she tried a listed bumper on reappearance and ran creditably to be 4th of 15 runners. Unable to win a listed hurdle, she bolted up over 2 miles by 17 lengths before being well put in her place by Love Envoi most recently.

She looks to have a lot to find with that rival but has scope for improvement.

A fantastic bumper horse for Willie Mullins last season, she managed to win 3 bumpers last term including two graded races.

Taking the Grade 2 mare’s bumper at the DRF and the Grade 3 event at Punchestown.
A warm order to win her first start over hurdles she obliged at short odds of 2/7.

However she’s since tried to step up in grade and has found herself well beaten. Unable to live with the boys in the Future Champions’ Novice she was then going well enough when falling 2 out against Allegorie De Vassey.

Not ideal to be falling on her last start but she was going well enough last time and showed how talented she was in bumpers last season.

A point to point winner back in Autumn of 2020, The Player Queen then went on to win a decent mares’ bumper at Cheltenham last spring.

Given plenty of time off over the summer she then managed to win her maiden over 2.5 miles at a short price with relative ease.

She went slightly up in trip for her next run but the soft ground and penalty tested her stamina and she only managed to come 5th.

Last seen defying the penalty on soft ground over 2 miles, she’s only rated 117 and looks to have a mountain to climb to be competitive.

A more experienced Irish raider, Impervious debuted over hurdles back in the summer and won over 2 miles and 3 furlongs handily at a big price of 20/1.

She wasn’t then unfenced in the market to defy her penalty but did just that to win again in September. She continued her progression to win a Grade 3 race in late October.

Unable to lie up in Grade 1 company in the Royal Bond against the boys she only managed to come 5th.
Given some time off to recover from 4 runs, she ran well to take her Grade 3 and looks to be gifted with stamina.

A 5 year old for Nicky Henderson, she comes here with only a rating of 119 so immediately looks to have quite a bit to find.

Winning a bumper for 4 year olds over 12 furlongs, she failed to step up in trip in bumpers but ran well in higher grade affairs through the spring.

A warm favourite for her debut over hurdles she was beaten into 4th and shaped like she really needed her comeback run, fading late on.

With experience in the books she did win her maiden next time out handily before going up in trip but failing to acquit herself well over 2.5 miles at Newbury.

Probably lacking the outright quality to be truly involved.

Harry Fry’s Love Envoi comes here unbeaten under rules and has been climbing the ladder as a strong novice this campaign.

Winning her bumper in Ireland over 2,5 miles last year she then switched yards and came over to Harry Fry for training over hurdles.

She got off the mark at the first time of asking over 2.5 miles and then handily cut through the mud to defy her penalty over slightly further at Warwick.

Moving up in grade has seen her take another novice race on bottomless ground before winning a stamina laden contest at Sandown over 2.5 miles to take a Grade 2.

She carries a penalty for the win at Sandown but her form looks solid.

Trying 3 point to points she failed to win in her outings between the flags before being picked up and going for a bumper at Ayr.

She failed to show much in that outing and was quickly taken hurdling off the back of that she failed to win at the first time of asking but ran well to be 2nd.

She moved to the Skelton yard off the back of that and absolutely bolted up over 2 miles after that by a massive 20 lengths.

The mare failed to confirm that form when not being able to carry her penalty to victory at Taunton last month when a short odds favourite again.

Not the stable first string and already a massive price.

Unable to win in bumpers for Jayne Hearne, this 6 year old filly ran well against some decent yard sticks and placed at 100/1 in her first outing against My Mate Mozzie.

Beaten out of sight on her hurdle debut in a maiden, she then dropped in trip and managed to win over 2 miles on bottomless ground at huge odds.

She’s since run against the good yard stick of Allegorie De Vassy coming 2nd and 4th to that rival twice.
She’s run well in defeat in a Grade 3 since over 3 miles.

Coming right back in trip doesn’t look like an obvious move and her price tag of 150/1 isn’t appealing.

Only seen 3 times under rules for Team Skelton. She skipped bumpers and was dropped straight in over hurdles where she obliged at the first time of asking when winning a maiden at Carlisle.

She followed up to beat the smart flat performer Zabeel Champion at Leicester after that who unfortunately hasn’t done the form any favours since.

With a couple of good runs over hurdles she took on Love Envoi on deep ground at Lingfield in late January where she was a valiant 2nd. With Love Envoi franking that form by winning a Grade 2 since at Sandown.

Her form lines with Love Envoi look strong and a return to a sounder surface will suit. She also now gets weight from that rival.

Yet more of the Willie Mullins horde. Hors Piste started life over in France but failed to win a race over in France but did run well in defeat in both outings.

aken hurdling by Mullins at Tramore over 2.5 miles she was a warm favourite to win at a short 4/7 and just failed to get the better of Where It All Began.

However with that experience in the books she absolutely bolted up in her most recent outing and broke her maiden over 19 furlongs by 16 lengths easily.

All of her runs have been on desperate ground so it would be interesting to see her on a sounder surface.

A winner of an AQPS race over in France back in 2020, Heia had a mammoth break from racing and returned to the track for her hurdle debut in December of 2021 after 517 days off.

She ran ok in a smart maiden to be 4th but was beaten a large 28 lengths by Howyabud. However with the experience in the books she took to hurdles much better on her second outing over hurdles and justified favouritism to win a mares’ event quite handily.

Another one for Mullins, she has only won a maiden but did it in fine fashion. She could be open to any amount of improvement.

We have very little to go on for Dinoblue as she’s only ever been seen on course once but the 5 year old made a lasting impression.

Running in a maiden in early January she cut through mud to score over 2 miles to bolt up to a 15 length success. The 3rd franking the form and winning since.

Mullins trained, McManus owned, she has a big reputation and could be absolutely anything.

Alan King’s mare has notched up plenty of experience this term and with winning her maiden hurdle in early May, she carried her novice status over to this Autumn.

Carrying a penalty on comeback she still managed to win handily.
Taken up in grade she won a decent race at Newbury with the well touted Elle Est Belle back in 3rd.

She had that form turned around in a listed race next time out as Nina The Terrier fell at the last flight when going well enough.

Unable to win a listed race on her next start either, she was given some time to freshen up but couldn’t live with Love Envoi in deep ground at Sandown.

Coming back in trip will help as will a return to a sounder surface. Her form with Elle Est Belle gives her a chance.