Marie’s looks Rock solid in bid for Mares’ Hurdle repeat success
MANY are billing this year’s renewal of the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (4.10pm) as the race of the meeting.
Last year’s first and second home are joined by two previous Champion Hurdle winners in Honeysuckle and Epatante, not to mention Grade One winners Brandy Love and Echoes In Rain.
Throw in last year’s Mares Novices’ Hurdle winner Love Envoi and you have one mouth-watering clash.
There won’t be a dry eye in the house if Honeysuckle bows out with a fairy tale ending, but she has to prove that the fire still burns within.
Epatante must be sick of chasing home Constitution Hill and will enjoy these calmer waters.
She’s an obvious player but the rain now takes the emphasis away from speed and puts it on stamina.
For that reason, I fancy her stablemate MARIE’S ROCK at 9/4 with William Hill to repeat last year’s victory despite this being a warmer contest.
Connections have abandoned plans to take the Stayers’ Hurdle route now that the rain has arrived, and she’ll take some stopping if in the same form as when landing the Relkeel Hurdle here in January.
Both last year’s winner Corach Rambler and Nassalam have been well found in the ante-post markets in the build-up to the Ultima Handicap Chase (2.50pm).
Along with Into Overdrive, they are vying for favouritism and it would be no surprise to see any of that trio win.
However, I’m prepared to take a swing at a couple at much bigger odds, starting with top weight FANION D’ESTRUVAL at a whopping 25/1 with BetUK.
Venetia Williams’ eight-year-old finished fourth in last season’s Ryanair Chase when rated 162 and that mark has fallen 7lbs despite three fair runs since.
He was a gallant seventh in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury under a huge weight and followed that with a fair third at Wetherby on Boxing Day.
The combination of recent rain and the fact that Lucy Turner takes off a valuable 5lbs are both positives, and he can take advantage of some generous each-way terms with the firms.
The other one I like the look of is FANTASTIKAS, who can be backed at 14/1 each-way with William Hill.
He finished seventh in this last season and returns from a 12lbs lower mark despite showing signs of a return to form at Wincanton last time.
He won’t mind it if conditions deteriorate, and first-time cheekpieces may spark dramatic improvement.
This year’s renewal of the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (4.50pm) looks as trappy a puzzle to solve as ever.
Tekao and Byker looks the two obvious ones from Ireland but are plenty short enough at 3/1 and 5/1 respectively.
Byker finished third to Sir Allen in the Naas novice hurdle that has proved a useful stepping stone for this contest, but it was the horse that finished just behind him that day that catches my eye.
METAMORPHEUS is trained by Paul Nolan who won the first ever running of this with Dabiroun back in 2005.
He slips in here off a nice mark and any rain will only help his chances as he’s a really solid stayer.
He can be backed each-way at 20/1 with William Hill while other firms are even offering six places.
POINTERS
Fanion D’Estruval e/w 2.50pm Cheltenham
Fantastikas e/w 2.50pm Cheltenham
Marie’s Rock 4.10pm Cheltenham
Metamorpheus e/w 4.50pm Cheltenham