Check out Lydia Hislop's Road To Cheltenham update on the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle and OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.
Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle
After a quiet couple of weeks, this division will spark back into life over the next ten days with two Grade One events on either side of the Irish Sea.
This column’s ante-post selection Supasundae squares up to titleholder Nichols Canyon – among others, of which more later – at Leopardstown whereas the likes of The World’s End, Sam Spinner and Thomas Campbell are set to make their first attempt at open Grade One company in the Long Walk this Saturday at Ascot.
Unowhatimeanharry, Lil Rockerfeller and L’Ami Serge potentially await in a race run for the first time in honour of three-time winner, the much missed Reve De Sivola.
To reiterate, prior to The New One’s best-at-the-weights second in the International, Twiston-Davies had said that this would be the target unless anything happens to upset one or both of the major players in the Champion Hurdle market.
OLBG Mares’ Hurdle
Another ante-post certainty could be revealed as an oxymoron next week with news that at the first opportunity since trainer Gordon Elliott stated that Apple’s Jade would “keep… to mares’ races”, she’s again taking on the boys – and stepping up to three miles for the first time to boot.
“She runs there because I’d rather that than run her over two miles,” explained Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary. “The plan remains the mares’ hurdle at Cheltenham and we’d probably go straight there after Leopardstown.”
However, were Apple’s Jade to again beat Nichols Canyon and Supasundae in the Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle as she did in the Hatton’s Grace, receiving a 7lbs mares’ allowance in the Stayers’ Hurdle would become much harder to ignore.
Last year’s OLBG Mares’ Hurdle third Limini also holds an entry for that three-mile race but is reportedly set to make her seasonal debut in the mares’ event at the same meeting.
Momella paid a handsome compliment to this column’s Ballymore selection On The Blind Side when winning a mares’ handicap hurdle at Cheltenham last Saturday against more experienced rivals.
She is likely to be entered in both this race and the Festival’s two-mile novice event for mares, the Trull House Stud Dawn Run. However, trainer Dan Skelton favours bypassing both contests in favour of a 2m4f Fairyhouse Grade One later that same month.