Ruby Walsh previews the mares-only races at the Cheltenham Festival and he's got a high opinion of a Paul Nicholls-trained horse in one of the races.
Speaking on the Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ Cheltenham Countdown Podcast alongside host Tom Nugent and Rory Delargy, Walsh gave his views on the big mares' races and it wasn't all about those from the yard of champion trainer Willie Mullins.
Mares’ Hurdle
Could Lossiemouth go back here as defending champion?
Walsh: I get the feeling listening to Willie the Champion Hurdle - I don’t get the feeling - I know the Champion Hurdle has been the target for Lossiemouth for a long time and a lot will depend on how she runs this weekend at the DRF and whether those plans change.
So I think there’s a couple of ways of looking at this race isn’t there? It could be three different races. I mean, with Brighterdaysahead in, it’s a different race, if Lossiemouth comes out, Brighterdaysahead comes out and Lossiemouth stays in, it's different again.
I think a lot of people would like both of those mares to end up in the Champion Hurdle. A lot of that will depend on what happens this weekend. If Brighterdaysahead doesn’t run in Leopardstown and Lossiemouth wins, there’s still the chance those two mares could take on Constitution Hill and then this is a very different race.
But I’m afraid that’s one of those ones that’s going to have to play out over time and we’re only guessing trying to figure out what’s the angle into it? Until you know which of these mares, which way they’re going and that will take a bit of time yet. It’s a pure guess.
It won’t be decided by Sunday and it’s just one of the great unknowns. Look, we’re all in a rush to know what’s going on tomorrow. So it is a difficult one, but I do think there are plenty of mares in behind that who are genuinely good mares, not quite at Lossiemouth or Brighterdaysahead’s level.
If you’re calling it the way they are right now, who would you fancy? If you thought this was the line-up, you’d have to go with Brighterdaysahead.
If this is the race she lines up in, she will be really hard to beat in it. I thought she was brilliant at Christmas, I think she’s improved all along, I don’t think Cheltenham is an issue for her. I just think that was purely tactics on the day last year and I just think that she is rock solid Brighterdaysahead.

Looking at the race without Lossiemouth or Brighterdaysahead, did Kargese need the race at Ascot?
Definitely, and even more so left it in the parade ring – there was a delay over the weight that the Jonjo O’Neill horse was carrying so they were in the ring for a long time and, to me watching Kargese, by the time she’d left the parade ring, it was like she’d run a race.
But that fizz had to come out of her, she is a highly-strung filly and that was always going to be a chance with her, but get that run under her belt, I think she’d have stepped forward. Last year’s juveniles do look a rock-solid bunch when you look at Sir Gino and Majborough, how they’ve progressed, I think she’s a good mare.
Kateira was well beaten, well not well beaten, didn’t look to stay at Doncaster behind Jetara, but I think you need to be a level up from that. I wonder if Golden Ace could get back to her strongest, does she want to go back down in trip and a mare that did impress me at Christmas was July Flower who came from a long way off the pace.
But she has some really good form in France last year so I think July Flower, Kargese, I think they’re good mares but I think it’s hard to go beyond either of the two of them without the big two.

Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
What to make of Maughreen [the show was recorded on Monday before her win at Punchestown later that day]?
I think Maughreen obviously picked up an injury last year and met with a setback and is only getting back on the track now. I think she’ll have to go and win and win well.
Obviously the Solerina Novices’ Hurdle didn’t blow you away at the weekend, but there’s been a couple of other mares other than that and Maughreen and maybe doing the show in three or four hours’ time we’d have a better opinion, but I think Maughreen doesn’t appeal to me this morning anyway.
Sixandahalf looked fairly good?
I thought Sixandahalf did and I love the way she progressed as she went through the race jumping wise. She half came off into the back of the third last hurdle and when Keith Donoghue stoked her up, she was straight back on the bridle and I thought she was really impressive down the straight.
To me I thought she was the best mares novice in Ireland this year unless you chucked in maybe a Sainte Lucie or something as a juvenile if you thought this was easier than the Triumph. Not something Willie does but it could be an option too.

Is Aurora Vega a leading contender or maybe you’re not blown away by the form?
No, Aurora Vega came down in trip at the weekend. To me she probably was more impressive than she was on New Year's Day but I thought some of Willie’s other fillies blew out – Baby Kate, Fancy Girl I don’t think they ran their races at all.
I don’t even think the mare in the double green [Mongibello] ran as well as she did at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day. Look, she’s getting the job done, but do I look at her and think ‘Jesus, you’re a ringer for your mother?’ I don’t.
An open race?
Watch Maughreen – I think Sixandahalf sets the standard in Ireland and it would be Jubilee Alpha for me in the UK.
If you had to have a bet?
Without entries - there’s no doubt Willie will enter Saint Lucie in this race because she’s a mare, she qualifies, he’ll enter her and that will have an impact on the market, but whether his intention is ever to run her or not?
I think I’d nearly be siding with Jubilee Alpha. I just loved her in the last 100 yards in Windsor. Sixandahalf, Jubilee Alpha again I just didn’t think it was a massive race for ante post betting, but Jubilee Alpha, Sixandahalf would be good dockets to be holding.
WATCH: Jubilee Alpha wins Fitzdares Mares' Novices' Hurdle
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsMrs Paddy Mares’ Chase
Has Dinoblue had a wind operation?
Not that I’m aware of – she wore a tongue tie. She’s still in the yard – I couldn’t see Dinoblue running at the weekend the way she’s running. [She doesn’t have an entry at the DRF but she is in the Queen Mother and the Ryanair at Cheltenham]. Maybe she should have but if she will have or not, that depends what humour Willie’s in.
Sometimes wind ops are all in, there’s other times wind ops are all out and at the moment wind ops seem to be out. Now that might change but tongue-ties are all in at the minute. Cross nose bands, wind ops seem to be a thing of the past.
Allegorie De Vassy?
She was much better at Fairyhouse – if you could convince yourself, she does jump to her right which is a bit of a drawback for her, that she was going to run her race, she’d be in the mix.
Allegorie De Vassy just can blow out – she definitely bounced back on New Year’s Day in good fashion and put a disappointing run at Clonmel behind herself. I’m assuming she has the option of the Opera Hat which is Sunday week and I’d be surprised if she didn’t go there.
She is rock-solid, that said I suppose, I kind of had thought she had gone as far as she could go at the end of last season. She was covered – she didn’t take and she’s back in training so there could surely be a younger mare there.
She’s not that old, but she’s plenty of racing done. If you go there as an owner, you’re entitled to go there thinking you have a chance but does that mean you want to hold a docket, I’m not so sure.
Verdict?
I’m just trying to figure out will Only By Night stay – her only run over two and a half was at Fairyhouse last year, I think she was gone though behind Jade De Grugy.
I thought the way she travelled at Cork to me she didn’t look like she had the early pace for two miles – she went from off the pace and warmed up into it. I think she could be a sneaky one.
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.