Cheltenham Betting
David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle
This race is fast becoming known as the Champion Hurdle for mares, although it is run over two and a half miles and requires horses to have a fine balance of speed and stamina.
Last year the race was won by Quevega, and it’s all about Willie Mullins six year-old once again this time around - and it’s not hard to see why.
Currently rock solid as the 5/4 favourite, Quevega absolutely bolted up to slam United and nineteen other rivals twelve months ago by fourteen lengths and more.
Perhaps even more impressive was her follow up run at the Punchestown Festival, where she finished an incredible three lengths third to multi Grade One winners Solwhit and Punjabi, leaving other high calibre horses such as Sizing Europe, Hardy Eustace and Ebaziyan in her wake.
She has yet to be seen this campaign, however ante post confidence suggests that will not be a worry, and unless her compatriots have improved beyond belief, Quevega should tally up a second triumph in this prestigious race. Being partnered by the prolific Ruby Walsh is also another huge plus.
Colm Murphy’s Voler La Vedette (9/4) may well pose questions that were not asked of Quevega in last year’s renewal however. Barry Geraghty is likely to get the leg up on the six year-old who cannot stop winning. She will go very close indeed, although her defeat of Go Native in November was slightly over hyped as the Supreme Novice champion needed the run to get fit. Taking this into account, even with her success this season, her form still falls slightly short of the favourite.
In a market at present being dominated by those two mares, an each way bet is not really advised as many could simply be scrapping things out for third place.
A horse who should run well however at bigger odds is Willie Mullins’s other stable star J’y Vole (10/1). She may not possess the speed of some of the others but she is a genuine type who always gives 100%.
The seven year-old regularly reverts from hurdles to fences, as shown at Christmas when she put in a decent effort behind What A Friend in the Lexus Chase. Therefore it may be a serious indicator should Mullins decide to run her in this instead of the other races she is entered for at the Festival.
It does seem as if Dunguib is set to be the real Irish banker of the four day extravaganza but Quevega should be held in the same regard. Her record is impeccable and more importantly, unlike Dunguib, she is currently odds against.
