Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on Wednesday.
Augusta in the spotlight
The Matchbook Betting Exchange Quevega Mares Hurdle (14:45) is named in honour of the great mare, who, owned by Ger O’Brien and Sean Deane – aka the Hammer & Trowel syndicate - won the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham for six consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2014.
Ironically, unlike a host of fellow Closutton residents including Call The Police (2011), Annie Power (2016) and Jade De Grugy (2025), Wednesday’s Grade 3 was one contest she didn’t win, with her season more often than not starting at Cheltenham itself.
The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival is surely on the mind of connections of Wednesday’s favourite Cousin Kate who extended her own winning run to three when fending off 17 rivals in a listed mares’ handicap at Leopardstown at the start of February under promising young claimer Michael Kenneally.
Sean Flanagan – who rode the mare to success at Limerick at Christmas - is back on board here on a ‘Horse In Focus’ mare who tops Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings, and a bold showing would likely trim the general 16/1 prices for next month’s novice event.
It’s a family affair too, however, as Cousin Kate’s half-sister Baby Kate also lines up at Punchestown on Wednesday. She shouldn’t be discounted, for all her profile to date suggests that this step up in trip on testing ground pits her into unchartered territory.
Their third sibling, Amen Kate, doesn’t line up here but is already a listed novice winner for Thomas Cooper and is another who could be set for Prestbury Park next month.
Unfortunately, it won’t be three half-sisters in the same race – which would be some feat for their dam Augusta Kate, a fine racemare herself whose wins for Willie Mullins included the big mares’ bumper at the Punchestown Festival and the Grade 1 mares’ novice final at Fairyhouse – as Baby Kate broke her maiden tag in the 2024/25 season.
Amateur riders to the fore
His Royal Highness The Prince Of Wales Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase, due off at 15:35 at Ludlow on Wednesday, sees seven amateur riders compete for the Pow Challenge Trophy.
The absence of Gina Andrews, who won this race in 2017 and then three times in a row between 2022 and 2024, has given others a chance at lifting the silverware, a feat that only one of the seven taking part has previously done; Lucy Turner scored on the Venetia Williams-trained One Style in 2020, and she rides the yard’s Bucksy Des Epeires this time around. He has plenty on his plate in terms of weight-adjusted ratings, but first-time cheekpieces now dropped in class, and a revival in form for the stable suggests he cannot be discounted.
First-time headgear is also applied on The Newest One – who represents last year’s winning yard - despite a promising second to Happy And Fine at Warwick in December. Amber Jackson-Fennell rode him at Cheltenham back in October, and she may be able to set her own fractions given the apparent lack of front-runners and a Timeform pace prediction of ‘very weak’.
Less exposed is Dyno Dave, the mount of Henry Main. The eight-year-old has only had two starts over fences, and appeared to be held back by his jumping when only fourth under similar conditions at Ffos Las just 19 days ago. Another Henry – Daly – will be hoping to further enhance his strong showing in the race; Petty Cash bids to bounce back from a poor showing at Huntingdon having since had another wind operation.
Quality contenders dwarf paltry prizemoney
With a first prize of £2,451 unlikely to cover much of the training fees for whichever horse triumphs in Wednesday’s Book Your Event At Southwell Racecourse Open National Hunt Flat Race (15:25), you’d have been forgiven for thinking that the quality of entrants for the contest would be below standard.
That doesn’t appear to be the case, however, with the Fergal O’Brien-trained Midnight Jukebox leading a trio of winning Irish point-to-point recruits that includes Ka Mate Du Brivet and Smokehouse. Eclat De Marvel found one too good on his own debut between the flags, but he too, commanded a fair fee at the sales prior to his debut run (where he was sent off at just 9/1) in listed company at Cheltenham.
The £65,000 purchase Kappa Des Mottes is out of a dam who won on her bumper debut, while Tom Lacey won this race with the well-supported Unjeu Royal 12 months ago and any support for his newcomer Sea Tempest, a €58,000 brother to the fairly useful chaser Romeo Magico, would look significant.
Brecharnon left Tom Weston after winning at Chepstow on his debut, and is now in the care of the Skeltons, while his former stablemate Mac Gayveur is a half-brother to five winners, including Aniknam who won by 10 lengths on his own debut at Hexham way back in 2014.
You can keep your Friday Night shemozzle; I’d rather watch this bumper. I just wish some of the prize money was being used here, instead.
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