While the Cheltenham Festival reaches its climax with the Gold Cup on March 15, it’s worth keeping your attention on Prestbury Park as there are still some good races to follow the feature before the curtain draws on the 2024 renewal of the prestigious event.
The Mares’ Chase, a Grade 2 event, and the penultimate race of the Cheltenham Festival, is a high-profile contest for leading female horses in jumps racing to display their prowess on the revered grounds of Cheltenham Racecourse.
Now we have set the scene for this exhilarating showdown, let’s dive into the horse racing latest odds and examine the form of the potential runners at the fore of the market.
Dinoblue - Evens
Renowned trainer Willie Mullins, a dominant force in recent years, presents Dinoblue as the leading contender for esteemed owner JP McManus.
With an impressive record of five wins in nine fences outings, the seven-year-old commenced the season with a Grade 3 victory at Naas, followed by a stellar Grade 1 triumph at Leopardstown.
Despite a commendable second-place finish to stablemate El Fabiolo in the Dublin Chase, Dinoblue remains a formidable force and is primed for further success at Cheltenham.
Allegorie De Vassy – 7/2
Coming in behind Dinoblue with odds of 7/2 is Allegorie De Vassy, another entrant from Mullins' established Closutton stable.
Although inconsistency has plagued her performances, Allegorie De Vassy displayed resilience with a victory in Listed company at Clonmel.
Despite a setback against Riviere D’etel at Fairyhouse, she redeemed herself with a triumph over the Gordon Elliott-trained horse at Naas.
If she maintains her form, Allegorie De Vassy poses a serious challenge to Dinoblue.
Limerick Lace – 4/1
Challenging Mullins' supremacy is Limerick Lace, trained by Gavin Cromwell and also owned by Irish billionaire McManus.
With an impressive track record of four wins, three seconds, and one third in nine outings over fences, the seven-year-old has demonstrated remarkable consistency.
Notable victories at Clonmel and Doncaster underscore her potential to shine at Cheltenham, despite lacking graded wins on her resume.
Brides Hill – 13/2
Cromwell has risen in prominence since picking up his first Cheltenham Festival winner in the Stayers’ Hurdle with Flooring Porter in 2021, and having two horses in the top four of the betting for the Mares’ Chase is a prime example of his stable getting stronger.
Brides Hill has more experience than her rivals by a long stretch, with 24 outings on her race record — 10 of which have been over fences.
The seven-year-old has been in career-best form this season, returning with a win at Listowel in September and following up at Fairyhouse in December.
A Listed victory in the Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase at Huntingdon in January stands as her most prominent win this season though, and Brides Hill could be one worth considering at 13/2.
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Marsh Wren is of interest, as the Stuart Edmunds-trained horse is into 16/1 from 40/1, while the consistent Riviere D’etel could be worth considering each-way at odds of 16/1.
Carole’s Pass and Fantastic Lady both come in at 20/1 for Amy Murphy and Nicky Henderson, respectively.