2023 Mares Hurdle

[Guinness Village]

There is also a mares handicap hurdle at the DRF that black tears won beating concertista. Not sure about race conditions, but it’s the right way round for her.
who knows?

[charlie]

I find it hard to type this as I seldom look at a Paul Nichols horse for Cheltenham, much less back one, but I've gone against my ante post strategy and added Miranda @ 40/1. That was some performance at Kempton. She posted an RPR of 151 and beat Martello Sky 11L hard held (in receipt of 4). Thats a serious performance, although MOW definitely didn't stay. 40's accounts for the fact she's ground dependent, and, like all Paul Nichols horses, wont necessarily go to Cheltenham, however, after Kempton PN said:

I'm going to enter Miranda in the Long Walk. She gets seven pounds off the geldings and you wouldn't be afraid running against them on a stiff track after that performance if it came up testing ground. There is no real star in that division. I nearly put her in at Newbury on Friday (Long Distance Hurdle). She is worth sticking in something like that (Long Walk) as you might drop across one of those races where it is really soft. You have to have cover all your options. If the Mares' Hurdle (the Grade One Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at The Festival) at Cheltenham was soft ground she would definitely have a go, but she would want soft ground to bring out the best in her

I've taken 40's now and I think she'll win the Long Walk, PN will name check the mares again and she'll go best priced 16's. She's a good bet in the Long Walk I think. Champ and PP have both just battled each other and that was hard race for horses that are 10 turning 11. She's improving, she gets a weight allowance - I think its set up nicely for her and 40's is a huge price all thing considered.

[Benjy23]

If she were to win the long walk I'd be concerned that the Stayers would have to come into question? The likes of Champ and PP weren't beaten all that far by FP last year. And there's still no new stars that have appeared in the division!

As for Brandy Love, would have no issue with her going straight to the festival to be honest. Good first time out record and Mullins has done it with mates in the past. No plans to cash out here but I'd be gutted if she was a NR two year in a row

[Garrison Savannah]

I find it hard to type this as I seldom look at a Paul Nichols horse for Cheltenham, much less back one, but I've gone against my ante post strategy and added Miranda @ 40/1. That was some performance at Kempton. She posted an RPR of 151 and beat Martello Sky 11L hard held (in receipt of 4). Thats a serious performance, although MOW definitely didn't stay. 40's accounts for the fact she's ground dependent, and, like all Paul Nichols horses, wont necessarily go to Cheltenham, however, after Kempton PN said:

I'm going to enter Miranda in the Long Walk. She gets seven pounds off the geldings and you wouldn't be afraid running against them on a stiff track after that performance if it came up testing ground. There is no real star in that division. I nearly put her in at Newbury on Friday (Long Distance Hurdle). She is worth sticking in something like that (Long Walk) as you might drop across one of those races where it is really soft. You have to have cover all your options. If the Mares' Hurdle (the Grade One Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at The Festival) at Cheltenham was soft ground she would definitely have a go, but she would want soft ground to bring out the best in her

I've taken 40's now and I think she'll win the Long Walk, PN will name check the mares again and she'll go best priced 16's. She's a good bet in the Long Walk I think. Champ and PP have both just battled each other and that was hard race for horses that are 10 turning 11. She's improving, she gets a weight allowance - I think its set up nicely for her and 40's is a huge price all thing considered.

Has been kept to RH and non-undulating tracks almost all her career. Would need it soft to be at her best - all her best runs have been during the winter.

Admirable horse, love her fight in a battle but extremely unlikely to be appearing at the festival.

Clearly, easy to pick holes in any 40/1 shot but I think there’s more chance Miranda finishes her career without ever having run a HQ than there is of her winning a festival race.

[charlie]

Has been kept to RH and non-undulating tracks almost all her career. Would need it soft to be at her best - all her best runs have been during the winter.

Admirable horse, love her fight in a battle but extremely unlikely to be appearing at the festival.

Clearly, easy to pick holes in any 40/1 shot but I think there’s more chance Miranda finishes her career without ever having run a HQ than there is of her winning a festival race.

Nobody waves the 'extremely unlikely to be appearing at the festival' flag about PN horses more than me, however, when he name checks the race specifically and says she will definitely go if its soft ground, then it obviously becomes far more likely. I think its a much more open division than people think and 40/1 is about right with all the risks associated with ground, right handed etc.

[Istabraq]

Nobody waves the 'extremely unlikely to be appearing at the festival' flag about PN horses more than me, however, when he name checks the race specifically and says she will definitely go if its soft ground, then it obviously becomes far more likely. I think its a much more open division than people think and 40/1 is about right with all the risks associated with ground, right handed etc.

Hasn’t Nichols just had another baby ?
Last year he might have been happy parked up on his Somerset sofa watching Mullins hoover up, maybe the idea of being surrounded by nappies and a baby screaming over the commentary is enough for him to actually run a few this year…

[Rooster Booster]

Hasn’t Nichols just had another baby ?
Last year he might have been happy parked up on his Somerset sofa watching Mullins hoover up, maybe the idea of being surrounded by nappies and a baby screaming over the commentary is enough for him to actually run a few this year…

Doesn’t he watch in the pub

[Istabraq]

Doesn’t he watch in the pub

In the words of the great Basil Fawlty, ‘that particular avenue of pleasure has been ended’….

[Rooster Booster]

In the words of the great Basil Fawlty, ‘that particular avenue of pleasure has been ended’….

Great in this instance is an understatement

[Hurricane On The Fly]

PP/BF gone 3/1 Brandy love....interesting

[FinalFurlong91]

PP/BF gone 3/1 Brandy love....interesting

Yes and they've taken an opinion on Honeysuckle pushing her out to a standout 4/1 along with fellow flutter entertainment company skybet

[Lobos]

Yes and they've taken an opinion on Honeysuckle pushing her out to a standout 4/1 along with fellow flutter entertainment company skybet

She's clearly blowing everything away again at home and back to her very best. The match is still on !

[Carnage at Taunton]

Trying to work out whether it’s likely Honeysuckle will turn up here.
Only way I can look at at the moment re form is Epatante.
Anyone have any opinion, strong or not,at what level she is running at in her runs with CH? I realise of course it’s not an exact science but…..
She’s just got beat about 14 more lengths than in the Champion Hurdle against Honey. And that was effortless by CH.
Honey will be 9 in March and with CH only 6 and had only 5 runs, improvement is very likely from CH.
So if Epatante is running to a similar level,it’s looking like at least a stone difference, and imo probably more taking everything in.
But I’m no expert and I know there’s people on here better at this than me.
Honey coming here would be pretty crucial trying to work out this race.

[AaronLad]

Trying to work out whether it’s likely Honeysuckle will turn up here.
Only way I can look at at the moment re form is Epatante.
Anyone have any opinion, strong or not,at what level she is running at in her runs with CH? I realise of course it’s not an exact science but…..
She’s just got beat about 14 more lengths than in the Champion Hurdle against Honey. And that was effortless by CH.
Honey will be 9 in March and with CH only 6 and had only 5 runs, improvement is very likely from CH.
So if Epatante is running to a similar level,it’s looking like at least a stone difference, and imo probably more taking everything in.
But I’m no expert and I know there’s people on here better at this than me.
Honey coming here would be pretty crucial trying to work out this race.

Epatante has run a faster time in both the fighting fifth and the xmas hurdle than what she ran last year, she also finished ahead of not so sleepy this year at newcastle, obviously last year they dead heated. although this is also not an exact science everything would suggest she is at the same level as last year, imo.

[Carnage at Taunton]

Epatante has run a faster time in both the fighting fifth and the xmas hurdle than what she ran last year, she also finished ahead of not so sleepy this year at newcastle, obviously last year they dead heated. although this is also not an exact science everything would suggest she is at the same level as last year, imo.

Cheers Aaron
Makes it very interesting if you are correct.
Dont really give Honey much of a chance in the CH.
Got to seriously consider Honey turning up here.