Grade One Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final Guide 2022

A 7 year old for Wille Mullins who’s been unable to back up her opening victory in maiden company over hurdles.
Despite skipping clear easily on debut, she’s failed to win since after being upped in grade.

Being beaten when favourite for a listed race won by Lunar Display before finding group company too hot to handle on her last two outings.

She did shape better last month at Cheltenham however to be 5th in the Mares’ Novice hurdle and certainly outran odds of 125/1.

However she needs to step up markedly to play a role here.

Winning a maiden with utmost ease for Willie Mullins back in late May of last year. She managed to back that up in a novice event under a penalty before a shock win in the Royal Bond here in November.

She failed to uphold her form following her grade 1 win and found herself well beaten by Sir Gerhard at Leopardstown and much the same last month behind Love Envoi at Cheltenham.

She clearly has class but she’s failed to back up her grade 1 win so it’s hard to have any confidence in her here.

A point to point and bumper winning 6 year old for Mullins. Brandy Love was heading the market for the Mares’ Novice hurdle last month but a late injury kept her from competing.

She’s only been seen twice over timber. Winning her maiden in style at short odds before being overturned by stablemate Allegorie De Vassy in a grade 3 race here at Fairyhouse.

She jumped markedly out to her left here last time so needs to have corrected that to have a real say.

Shedding her maiden tag at the 3rd time of asking, Say Goodbye hasn’t managed to win since.

She went close in a listed race but found herself well beaten behind Lunar Display at Wexford back in October. Returning off a long break, Say Goodbye ran a stormer to be 2nd to Party Central in a 2 mile handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival.

If coming on for that run and going up in trip helps, she could get seriously involved here.

Joseph O’Brien’s Lunar Display has already had 16 runs over hurdles in her career. Unable to win a race last season, she moved into this season still a novice and won her first race at the end of May last year.

She’s been busy this season and has been on the go since October, winning twice including a listed event.

She’s been tried over a variety of trips and has won over both 2.5 and 2 miles this season. She’s also won on a strong variety of grounds but has looked out of her depth in grade company.

She was unable to win under her listed penalty last time out so probably doesn’t have the quality needed for this.

It took this 7 year old four attempts to break her maiden but did so over 2.5 miles in mid January off the back of a decent outing to be 2nd to Minella Cocooner.

She couldn’t quite go with Brampton Belle in a listed race on deep ground over 2 miles and 5 furlongs and was unfortunately brought down on her last outing in the race won by Kilbarry Chloe. Although she was weakening out of contention at the time.

She looks well out of her depth here.

We have very little to go on for this French flat recruit as Night And Day hasn’t run over hurdles yet and hasn’t been seen on a racecourse for 646 days.

She was a maiden on the flat after 4 outings and you’d be going on blind faith with this one. She has been recruited by top owners and sent to Willie Mullins but she’s best watched for now.

Despite being unable to win in any of her 4 outings in bumpers, Reine Machine made the transition to hurdles perfectly and won at the first time of asking over timber.

Despite the 2nd going on to frank the form since and win a maiden of her own, it doesn’t look deep form and she’s been dropped right in the deep end here off the back of one run.

A dual graded bumper winner for Willie Mullins last season, Grangee transitioned to hurdles perfectly by winning her maiden with ease.

She’s struggled since however and has been well held when contesting graded races since, although running well in defeat.

She put in her best outing to date when coming 3rd behind Love Envoi at Cheltenham last month , shaping like a longer trip would suit.

Going further will seemingly help her and she looks primed for another big run.

Another of the Mullins brigade, Mi Lighthouse ran a stormer to be 2nd on hurdle debut, despite the betting markets not giving her much chance.

She was then no match for Dinoblue on her next outing, but did score over 2 miles easily at the start of February.

Last seen coming 2nd to Kilbarry Chloe over 22 furlongs at Limerick in s grade 3, she was outstayed by her rivals and might just prefer this slightly shorter trip. However she needs to improve markedly.

This 6 year old totted up a decent hat trick of wins. Taking her maiden easily, she then managed to back that up when winning a novice event at Listowel.

Stepped up in grade she handled a drop in trip to score grade 3 honours and was well fancied for the Royal Bond here last November where she only managed 5th.

Another who ran well at Cheltenham last month. She sat prominent in the field and faded up the hill late on. She needs to step up from that to worry the market principles.

A perfect 6 from 6 under rules, Harry Fry’s Love Envoi makes the trip over to Ireland for this.

Winning a few low grade affairs easily, she stepped up to grade 2 company at Sandown in February where she cut through the mud easily to score over 2.5 miles.

She put her stamina to good use last month to power up the Cheltenham hill and gain grade 2 success again despite a penalty and dropping in trip.

She remains unbeaten and beat a good chunk of this field last time out. The one to beat.

Still a maiden for Gavin Cromwell having failed to win in any of her 3 career outings to date.

She kept on well to be 2nd on debut but a poor round of jumping saw her pull up on her second effort over timber.

Unable to win again over 2.5 miles when last seen, she only managed 3rd and weakened late on.

Unlikely to play a major role.

Unable to win in a couple of bumper runs last season, Kilbarry Chloe returned this season in flat races but failed to win in a further three runs. Despite going close in 2nd twice.

Given a few months off, she returned over hurdles in March and scored in maiden company, beating a 250/1 shot by a neck. However she put doubts about the form to rest when winning a grade 3 over 22 furlongs when last seen.

She stays well so will be hoping this becomes a gritty stamina test, she might not have the quality to step up to this grade however.

A recruit from France for Willie Mullins. She arrived as a maiden having run well in two outings over in France.

Sent off a short priced favourite for her first run for Mullins, she was overturned by a short head.

But with the experience in the books and a run under her belt she got off the mark second time of asking with absolute ease.

She looked to be travelling well at Cheltenham last month but failed to quicken up the hill and weakened back into 8th place.

Stepping back up in trip should suit and a repeat of her maiden win could see her go close.

Sent off a very short priced favourite for the Mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham last month, Dinoblue arrived with a very lofty reputation off the back of only one run.

She took apart her maiden with ease back in January, but her lack of experience maybe got the better of her at the festival and she wilted back into 9th.

She was a bit keen at Cheltenham so if she settles better she could get closer.