The Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase is one of the newest races added to the Cheltenham Festival. As the race closes in, our experts at GG will provide all the information you need in order to find the winner of the race, with tips and predictions aplenty.
Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase Bookmaker Odds – Race 6, Friday 17th March 4:50
| Horse/Form | Silks | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegorie De Vassy 311-11 |  | J: Paul Townend T: Willie Mullins | 7/4 |
| Impervious 65-111 |  | J: Brian Hayes T: Colm Murphy | 15/8 |
| Jeremys Flame 631151 |  | J: Keith Donoghue T: Gavin Cromwell | 13/2 |
| Magic Daze 8-1221 |  | J: Rachael Blackmore T: Henry De Bromhead | 6/1 |
| Elimay 11-244 | | J: Mark Walsh T: Willie Mullins | 16/1 |
| Riviere D’etel 253-24 |  | J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott | 16/1 |
| Zambella 3-2112 |  | J: Daryl Jacob T:Nigel Twiston-Davies | 25/1 |
| Dolcita 21-312 |  | J: Danny Mullins T: Willie Mullins | 40/1 |
| Pink Legend 2-6341 |  | J: Charlie Deutsch T: Venetia Williams | 50/1 |
All About The Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase in 2023
The Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase is the most recent addition to the Cheltenham Festival. The contest replaced the popular 2m4f novices’ handicap chase which is now run at Sandown on their Jumps finale card.
Whilst it has been argued that the addition of the Mares Chase to the Festival reduced the possibility of females taking on the males in races like the Ryanair Chase, the contested attracted a competitive field in 2022 and another strong line-up is expected to participate in 2023.
Willie Mullins had a 1-2 in the inaugural renewal of the Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase in 2021, and he followed up last year with Elimay just edging out Venetia Williams’ Pink Legend. The pair look likely to race again this year, although both look susceptible to some improving younger mares.
Willie Mullins yet again has the favourite in the betting, with Allegorie De Vassy currently the market leader. It’s easy to see why too, having run out an impressive 19 length winner in both her races this season. She’s hardly broken sweat in either race, and will come here full of confidence.
Next in the betting is Colm Murphy’s Impervious, who has won all three of her races this season. That includes an impressive an impressive victory in Grade 3 company at Cork in December, before following up in Grade 2 company at Punchestown the following month. She looks to be the main danger to the Mullins stranglehold on the race.
Jeremy’s Flame has only tasted defeat once in her last four races, and that was when taking on the boys in Grade 1 company, in a race that was won by the impressive Blue Lord, so it’s easy to forgive that defeat. She has since finished a six-length winner over Zambella (who is also likely to line up here), and will arrive here with strong claims on the back of that effort.
Henry De Bromhead’s Magic Daze could only finish eighth in the Arkle last year when taking on the boys, but she should feel much more at home against her own sex, which she proved when winning a Listed Chase at Naas in February.
With the Irish dominating the head of the market, the chief threat from Britain looks to be Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux, who was last seen beating the boys in the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick in January. However, she may prefer the stamina test of the Albert Bartlett, so the main British hope could be Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Zambella, who will have to reverse form with Jeremy’s Flame, which doesn’t look easy!
Qualifications/Trends
The Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase is available to female horses aged 5 or older. Horses carry 11st 2lb, but there are penalties depending upon the classification of races won prior to running in the race.
The race is run over a distance of 2m4f on Cheltenham’s New Course, traditionally seen as the stiffer of the two courses. As such, proven stamina can be advantageous and although 2021 winner Colreevy had yet to win beyond 2m4f under rules, she had run in a point-to-point over 3m at the start of her career and post-Cheltenham went on to land a Grade 1 over an extended 3m at the Punchestown Festival.
There’s only been two renewals of the race os it’s difficult to find many trends for the race, although both renewals have been won so far by 8YO’s trained by Willie Mullins, so it might pay to side with his runners again this year.
The Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase has been a good race for Irish runners, with the first five home in 2021 Irish-trained, and three of the first five home in last year’s renewal also Irish-trained.
2023 Mares’ Chase Prize Money
Last year’s connections of Elimay took home just over £67,000. However, with a total pot of over £118,000 ensuring plenty of compensation for the beaten horses, with prize money handed out to all seven horses who finished.
The prize pot for the 2023 renewal is £120,000.
Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase History
The Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase is a Grade 2 open to mares run over an extended 2m4f of Cheltenham’s New Course.
The race had its inaugural renewal in 2021 with Colreevy landing the spoils for legendary trainer Willie Mullins. Mullins also sent out the 2nd and 4th placed horses in Elimay and Salsaretta, with previous Cheltenham Festival winner Shattered Love finishing 3rd for Denise Foster and owners Gigginstown House Stud.
Last year saw a Willie Mullins land the honours again, as Elimay went one better than her runner-up effort the previous year. It was a fantastic finish, with runner-up Pink Legend and third-placed Scarlet And Dove finishing within half a length of the winner.
Although the name of the race will remain in 2023, it is officially registered as the Liberthine Mares’ Chase.
Liberthine was a mare that ran in the famous Robert Waley-Cohen silks. She ran out a shock 25/1 winner at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival and went on to land the 2006 Topham Chase at Aintree. She ended her racing career after finishing 5th in the 2007 Grand National won by Silver Birch and has gone on to prove herself a useful broodmare.
Winners since 2021
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Colreevy | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 9/4 |
| 2022 | Elimay | Mark Walsh | Willie Mullins | 9/4 |