SBK Champions Mares Hurdle (Sat 3 May)

SBK IRISH EBF MARES’ CHAMPION HURDLE.

Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead are among the 10 entrants in the SBK IRISH EBF MARES’ CHAMPION HURDLE. The vaunted duo are also possible runners in the Boodles Champion Hurdle at the start of the week but would add real A-list glamour to Saturday’s card were they to cross swords on the concluding day of the Punchestown Festival.

Lossiemouth’s stablemate Kargese illustrated her talent in the County Hurdle, while Henry de Bromhead’s pair, Lantry Lady and July Flower are very talented performers capable of making a bold bid.

BALLYMORE CHAMPION FOUR-YEAR-OLD HURDLE
(Saturday, May 3rd – 19 entries)

Willie Mullins dominates the entries here, with a dozen possible participants, including Poniros, who won the Triumph Hurdle on his first public outing over obstacles at 100/1 under Jonjo O’Neill Jnr. Aintree victor, Murcia is also among the group.

Nicky Henderson has entered Lulamba, who was narrowly denied at Cheltenham, and Gavin Cromwell intends to run Hello Neighbour, a Grade 1 winner at the Dublin Racing Festival who ran with credit in Cheltenham before fading late on to be sixth, less than six lengths behind Poniros.

“He just didn’t work well enough for us in his last bit of work before Aintree, so that’s why he didn’t travel over there,” Cromwell explains. “He’s fine and has plenty of time to freshen up and presuming he comes good again, he’ll run.

“I suppose he had a hard race at Cheltenham and it was off the back of the Grade 2 win on his debut at Christmas and then the Dublin Racing Festival. We just said we’d give him a chance. It was a very quick turnaround this year from Cheltenham to Aintree and when you’re borderline on sending him, I’m glad we didn’t as that might have left a mark on him and we have Punchestown to look forward to now.”