2025 Mares Hurdle

[Can't Catch Me]

Don't really understand the hulabaloo on this one. Had she had a good prep, then I could, but its the hottest CH for some time and she's had a far from perfect season. She couldn't live with the pace CH set at Kempton over 2m so there are still questions marks on the trip, and then obviously she fell in her last run before the race. Wouldn't really be Willie's way to then target the toughest race of your career on the back of those two runs.

Makes perfect sense to go to the Mares for me. She's only 6 after all! try and get a better prep into her next season and have another go.

[FinalFurlong91]

I'm not certain lossie is even a shoe in. Jade de grugy is already better than any of the mares she beat in the race last year and has plenty of scope to improve on her 149.

Lossie has run to RPRS of 151 and 152 this season that's not unbeatable by any stretch

Jade ran to 153 on reappearance though I'd strongly question the value of that rating based on beating vastly inferior horses giving weight. To me it's much easier to beat inferior horses giving weight than beating a horse of similar ability off levels.

She still has a high ceiling though

The question on jade is whether she can back up the run at Cheltenham or if she will flop like brandy love did. Though brandy was a nut job who hung like a rusty gate so perhaps not a fair comparison.

[Prestbury]

Ricci is not in it for the money (and you get more for 2nd in the Champion than winning the Mares anyway). So he must be in it for the sport - but where is the sport in this decision? She's already won G1s and that race in particular. Yes the BHA should frame the race so that this situation doesn't happen but those owners and trainers at the top of the game also have an obligation to the sport that has put them there.

[FinalFurlong91]

There shouldn't be any mares only grade 1s

They should all be grade 2s with a 5lb or 7lb penalty carried by grade 1 winners

The champion hurdle and the stayers need any depth they can get

[Middle_Of_March]

Grade 1s should absolutely not have any penalties, they're meant to be the best grade races with the best horses competing, the error was upgrading the race to a G1, if it was still a G2 then shove a stone on G1 winning mares forcing them to go Champion Hurdle...

I think I’ve explained myself wrongly there. I’m agreeing with you. The issue is that the race itself is a Grade 1 and therefore there’s no penalties.

Whereas if it was the same as the Mares Chase, it would have penalties in place and thus would likely force the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle class mares to that.

I don’t blame Ricci/Mullins if it happened. It’s a grade 1 worth £100k and she’d be 8/13. Whereas she’d be 6/1 in a champion hurdle and goes against a horse who already beat her this year and at his best is borderline unbeatable anyway. I blame the BHA for this situation rather than connections

[Istabraq]

Meh.. I don’t blame them.

It’s a piss weak Grade 1 over a grip that suits her better.

Blame Cheltenham for making a Mares Hurdle a Grade 1 with no penalties.

Grade 1s should absolutely not have any penalties, they're meant to be the best grade races with the best horses competing, the error was upgrading the race to a G1, if it was still a G2 then shove a stone on G1 winning mares forcing them to go Champion Hurdle...

[Kevloaf]

I'm surprised at the amount of people that've been in this ante post game for so long that are surprised we aren't getting what 'we' want


The silver lining is that, IF it goes against the good of the sport this year, they surely have to change the Mares to not allow this in future



We're all on the same side here just impacted slightly differently.

If Lossiemouth ends up in the Mares I'll be smug about it because you should all know better.... and if I'm wrong, I'll delete all evidence I said she'd be anywhere but the CH and ban you







The Tuesday goes from having THE race worth going for, to 'a clash' but 4 odds on shots and 3 handicaps....

[FinalFurlong91]

I remember watching rich ricci on a preview in 2018 and he said douvan was running in the Ryanair

Then the day after he was declared for the champion chase

[Kautostar]

I don’t know why anyone’s surprised. Willie always chooses the easiest option when it comes to Cheltenham winners.

[FredFlintstone]

Ricci did say prior to the race at DRF she’d go for the mares if she was beat. It’s been Mullins that had been banging on about the 2 year plan

[riccirich]

Out of interest, did anyone notice any significant movement on the exchange for lossiemouth in this race today before ricci spoke on the preview?

I remember looking earlier today and she looked solid enough for the champion, while being 4.0-5
0 roughly for this race. Interested to know whether the movement only happened during the preview, meaning it would be regular punters backing her just going off his words.

[Liammet]

If they do bottle it and come here with Lossiemouth then they will surely be pissing off a very good owner in Kenny Alexander
Aswell as everyone that has the best interest of the sport at heart

[Prestbury]

I really don't get Ricci. If he was a small owner without a winner at the Festival then I think few would begrudge him going for the Mares. I think people would have been more understanding about BDA going to the Mares given that the horse does not have a Cheltenham win on her CV. But Lossiemouth has already won the Mares and Ricci has had plenty of winners at the Festival already (over 20?). He is obviously not in the sport for the money. So what is he in it for? It really doesn't matter to anyone whether when he leaves the sport his tally is 23 or 24 - what he will be remembered for is taking soft options with horses such as Vautour and now Lossiemouth (and hopefully as the guy who forced the BHA to change the conditions of the Mares race to exclude horses rated above 150).

[Carnage at Taunton]

Meh.. I don’t blame them.

It’s a piss weak Grade 1 over a grip that suits her better.

Blame Cheltenham for making a Mares Hurdle a Grade 1 with no penalties.

Yep, that’s all true I agree
But can understand the frustrations

[Middle_Of_March]

Meh.. I don’t blame them.

It’s a piss weak Grade 1 over a grip that suits her better.

Blame Cheltenham for making a Mares Hurdle a Grade 1 with no penalties.