The David Nicholson Mares Hurdle is named after the aforementioned jockey and trainer who rode 5 and trained 17 winners at Cheltenham. The race is also famous for the record held by Quevega, who won this race an incredible 6 times in a row between 2009 - 2014. The race is 2 miles 4 furlongs around the old course and is open to mares aged 4 years and older. It’s a Grade 1 race with prize money worth over £67,000 for the winner. 

A lot will depend on who is going to this race as to who is worth putting up. Willie Mullens has an exceptional record in this race and it’s often one that he targets to get an early Cheltenham victory under his belt. It’s also a good race for favourites, with 7 of the last 12 winning this race and 10 of the last 12 coming from the top 3 in the betting.

Bennie Des Dieux 

Bennie Des Dieux has an entry for this race, as well as the Champion Hurdle and the Stayers Hurdle, but if she turns up here, she’d be very hard to oppose, even if Honeysuckle goes here as well. She’ll be heavily odds on should she run here, so might be one to stick in your accumulators. Willie Mullens has said on multiple occasions that he thinks she’s the best mare, he’s ever had and he’s trained a few (think Annie Power and Quevega). The way she dispatched her opposition with ease in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle on 23rd Jan, shows that she’s a really classy sort and she’d have won this race last year with ease, had she not fallen at the final hurdle. If she is entered for this race, she’d be one of the so called “bankers” of the festival for sure.

  • John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle - 23rd Jan Watch  
  • Irish Stallion Farms EBF Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle - 4th May Watch  

 

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is the new mare on the block and connections have said that they are leaning towards this race for her. She won the Irish Champion Hurdle by ½ length to Darver Star on 1st February in what was undoubtedly her stiffet test yet. My concerns are that she has no experience at Cheltenham and her jumping was far from flawless in her last race. If Bennie Des Dieux does go for this race, I can see her inexperience catching her out as Bennie turns the screw in the latter stages of the race. Of course if Bennie goes elsewhere, then it would open the door for her to win this race. With a current best price of 15/8 and the prospect of Bennie going here, she isn’t one that I’ll be betting on.

 

Stormy Ireland

Stormy Ireland has had a great season so far, winning her last 3 races. She’s not got the class of Benie Des Dieux and would get beaten if Bennie turns up here. I do think it’s worth looking at backing her without the fav though at any price bigger than 15-8. She went off quite hard in last year’s race, only to be beaten by Roksana quite convincingly. Indeed she would have been 3rd, had Bennie Des Dieux not fallen. At 7-1 I can’t have her for the win, but is certainly one to consider in the without fav markets.

  1. The favourite or 2nd favourite have won 10 of the last 12 races
  2. 7 of the last 12 favourites have won this race
  3. Willie Mullins has won 9 of the last 11 races
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