Mares Hurdle Odds 2023
Black Tears ridden by Jack Kennedy jumps the last on the way to victory in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle during day one of the Cheltenham Festival.
The Mares Hurdle is a Grade 1 race restricted to mares aged four and upwards over two and a half miles at the Cheltenham Festival. The race was established in 2008 with victory going to Donald McCain’s Whiteoak. The following season it was won by Quevega, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh. It was the first of a remarkable six consecutive wins for the mare, eclipsing the previous record of five set by Golden Miller in the 1930’s.
Quevega also established the pattern of domination for Mullins, extended to eight by Glens Melody (2015) and Vroum Vroum Mag (2016). Apple’s Jade temporarily halted the run of success for Mullins until Benie Des Dieux gave him his ninth Mares Hurdle win in 2018. Dan Skelton’s Roksana became only the second British trained winner in 2019 before subsequent Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle won in 2020. The Mares Hurdle betting odds 2023 suggest a wide open contest this year.
Mares Hurdle Odds and Entries 2023
Willie Mullins has a typically strong entry in a race in which he enjoyed a complete monopoly for eight years. He has had to settle for second for the past three seasons, most recently when Concertista was edged out by Black Tears in 2021.
He is responsible for a quarter of the confirmed runners – all three featuring near the top of the market. Stormy Island looks to be the pick of his runners, with top jockey Paul Townend booked for the ride. He made a successful trip to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day to beat McFabulous in the Relkeel Hurdle. She was fifth in this race behind Honeysuckle in 2020 and the Grade 1 Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in May last year. 2020 Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory warmed up for Cheltenham with a workmanlike success at Punchestown in February.
The current favourite belongs to the Honeysuckle team of Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore with Telmesomethinggirl. She has been aimed at this race all season and showed a good turn of foot to win the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle 12 months’ ago. She will have to turn the tables on Heaven Help Us who finished about a length in front of her at Leopardstown last time.
Latest Mares Hurdle Betting Odds *
*Best prices correct at time of writing
Telmesomethinggirl 3-1
Queens Brook 9-2
Stormy Ireland 11-1
Burning Victory 8-1
Echoes In Rain 9-1
Mrs Milner 10-1
Marie’s Rock 11-1
Heaven Help Us 12-1
Martello Sky 16-1
Indefatigable 25-1
Western Victory 66-1
Nada To Prada 100-1
Betting on the Mares Hurdle
The Cheltenham Mares Hurdle will attract extra interest in 2023 with connections of dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle announcing their intention to run. This will be her last racecourse appearance as she attempts a fourth consecutive Cheltenham Festival victory.
Originally known as the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle, Trainer Willie Mullins enjoyed a monopoly of this race with eight consecutive victories from 2009 to 2016. He has now gone four years without success since Benie Des Dieux gave him a record ninth win in 2018.
Inaugural winner Whiteoak (2008) remains the longest priced winner in the short history of the race at 20-1 after Marie’s Rock returned a surprise winner at 18-1 in 2022. The latter was only the third British-trained winner in fifteen years. Quevega started favourite for all six of her victories but Vroum Vroum Mag (2016) has been only winning favourite since.
There were notable setbacks for punters with the last hurdle falls of heavily-backed Annie Power (2015) and Benie Des Dieux (2019). Annie Power’s fall was estimated to have saved the bookmakers a £50 million payout after the stable had already won with three well-backed favourites. Since Quevega’s final victory at the age of ten in 2014, six seven-year-olds have won, making them the most successful age group.
Mares Hurdle News
Telmesomethinggirl is a top-priced 3-1 in the Mares Hurdle odds after her close third at Leopardstown over Christmas. Although beaten for the third consecutive race since winning at last year’s festival, she was staying on strongly at the finish. Her Leopardstown conqueror was Royal Kahala, trained by Peter Fahey, who just collared long-time leader Heaven Help Us to win by a neck. Royal Kahala has since followed up in the Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle over three miles at Gowran Park.
Heaven Help Us was a shock 33-1 winner of the Coral Cup at the corresponding meeting and has been beaten in all five subsequent starts. She was always likely to find two miles too sharp when outclassed behind Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time. Mrs Milner was also a Cheltenham Festival winner in 2021, taking the Pertemps Final for Paul Nolan. She was last seen finishing fourth to Thomas Darby at Newbury in November.
Willie Mullins will continue to shuffle his pack but Stormy Ireland and Burning Victory are confirmed to run here. Stormy Ireland likes to make the running whereas Burning Victory is probably best held up. She was forced to make her own running at Punchestown when beating Queens Brook and is probably better than she showed that day. Echoes In Rain has some top class form in the book, notably when third to Honeysuckle last time out. She is yet to race beyond two miles but her form last year puts her in with a chance.
Hopes of a British-trained winner seem to rest with Marie’s Rock and Martello Sky, trained by Nicky Henderson and Lucy Wadham respectively. Marie’s Rock has put up a couple of good performances this season and can be forgiven her run in the Lanzarote Hurdle when badly hampered and pulled up. Martello Sky is currently 16-1 in the Mares Hurdle odds 2023 after victories at Cheltenham and Sandown.