Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Odds: Open race for Thursday’s opener

The opening race of day three of the Cheltenham Festival is another to look forward to as 24 runners and riders go head-to-head at Prestbury Park. Willie Mullins has dominated this race in the past, winning the first five editions and even saddling four of the top five in 2020. 

Can the famous trainer come out on top again here or will Henry De Bromhead or Harry Fry gain another success. Below we’ve taken a look at the Mares' Novices' Hurdle Odds, listing some of the key contenders to watch. 

Mares' Novices' Hurdles Odds

Sixandahalf @ 11/4

Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf is currently the market favourite at the time of writing, although the odds can change quickly in this variable weather. She put in a fantastic display when taking victory at Fairyhouse in January as she pulled away from the field, and her jumping really caught the attention that day. 

Crowell’s five-year-old hasn’t run since then with this race the only target in mind, but last April she also secured a Punschetown bumper and had a decent spell on the Flat. She’s a big player here given she performed so well on her hurdling debut and will be tough to stop if she gets into her rhythm.

Galileo Dame @ 9/2

Joseph O’Brien’s Galileo Dame could have been a Triumph Hurdle contender but has instead been put into this race, after some good showings on the Flat. Her jumping debut came at Leopardstown and she returned a month later, finishing as the runner-up on both occasions. 

She’s only four years old, so a baby in comparison to her competitors, and a four-year-old has never won this race. However, this is clearly a mare with a lot of promise and her high ceiling could carry her close. 

Maughreen @ 7/1

Possibly the most popular mare in this contest with a party of 80 set to cheer her on up the hill. Her bumper debut also went extremely well as she won by 11 lengths last January at Punchestown, but unfortunately an injury kept her out of action for almost the entire year. However, in January of this year she showed no signs of wear and tear as she won a mares’ maiden hurdle at the same venue to book her spot in this race. 

The six-year-old is related to Faugheen which will also have punter’s licking their lips at the prospect of a big winner. There’s an awful lot to like about Maughreen and she’ll wear a hood here. Mullins is a big fan of Maughreen and it feels like this could be a contest she lights up.

Cheltenham Betting Odds

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Aurora Vega @ 7/1

Aurora Vega’s recent showing at the Solerina Mares Hurdle at Fairyhouse has undoubtedly won her a lot of fans heading into Cheltenham. Mullins’ mare - the diminutive daughter of Walk In The Park - held off Dream On Baby to win by a length and three-quarters, forcing the bookies to cut her ante-post odds for this race from 33/1. 

Now we are mere hours away from the race, those odds are much shorter, with Mullins heaping praise on his surprise package. 

After the win he said: "I was really taken by that performance. I thought she would come on a lot for the last day, but I was not expecting her to do that." One to watch.

Karoline Banbou @ 15/2

Unexposed so far, but another held in high regard by Mullins. She was a winner at the Mares Maiden Hurdle at Fairyhouse, and the five-year-old was recruited from France having won a couple of bumpers there. It feels as though she will garner plenty of support in the betting ring, and I can’t find too many reasons to doubt her. 

Jubilee Alpha @ 10/1

Paul Nicholls has both Just A Rose and Jubilee Alpha going here as they pit their wits against each other. Freddie Gingell rides Just A Rose but Jubliee Alpha, steered by Harry Cobden, is shorter in the market and seemingly preferred by Nicholls. 

She’s a Taunton Listed winner who has also won at Windsor, so certainly in with a shot but may have to find more to beat the front runners. The battle between these two stablemates is a subplot that’s worth following. 

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