Quevega© Photo Healy Racing
The OLBG Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival has been raised to Grade One status as part of an overall upgrade to British Jump Pattern and Listed races for the 2014/15 National Hunt season.
The race was added to the Festival in 2008 and has been won for the last six years by Willie Mullins' incredible race mare Quevega.
Although she has now been retired following defeat at the Punchestown Festival, the strength in depth the Cheltenham contest has produced has allowed the upgrade from Grade Two to Grade One status to be approved.
The Hampton Novices' Chase at Warwick in January has been upgraded from a class two to a Listed race, with February's John Smith's Scottish County Hurdle at Musselburgh making the same change.
The Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase at Ayr's Scottish Grand National meeting in April has also been upgraded from a class two to a Listed event.
As has already been announced by Arena Racing Company, the British Horseracing Authority has added a new mares-only chase to the programme at Doncaster in December and this will become the first Listed or Pattern race opportunity for mares in the jump season.
Ruth Quinn, director of racing for the BHA, said: "We are extremely pleased to be able to upgrade the OLGB Mares' Hurdle to Grade One status as it is a race which has performed consistently in the seven years since its inception.
"This is partially thanks to the presence of Quevega, but also because the race has consistently produced large and high-class fields.
"The work of Quevega and the upgrading to Grade One status mean that the Festival now boasts a truly aspirational and important mares-only race so soon after the concept was introduced to the Festival programme.
"This, alongside the wider work to upgrade the mares' programme, provides a real incentive to buy and keep top-class hurdling mares in training which is important for the horse population as a whole."
Simon Claisse, Jockey Club regional head of racing for the south west region and clerk of the course at Cheltenham, said: "I am firstly delighted that the OLBG Mares' Hurdle, registered as the David Nicholson, has been promoted to Grade One status. Quevega has made the race her own over the last six years, but since its inception in 2008, it has gone from strength to strength.
"Cheltenham racecourse is committed to supporting mare-only races with six Pattern and Listed races throughout our season and for the Championship race at the Festival to be promoted to Grade One shows the strength and depth in this area of the sport. Secondly, it is also great news that the race on Classic Chase Day at Warwick has been upgraded to Listed status and shows the strength of jump racing at the course."
Sports betting community OLBG have signed up to sponsor the Cheltenham Festival race for another five years and will continue their sponsorship of mares' events on the road to Cheltenham at Wetherby, Kempton, Ascot, Warwick and Doncaster.
OLBG's PR Representative Dean Goddard said: "This is fantastic news for our 50,000 members who will enjoy this wonderful journey with us. We'll continue to entertain many of them at the races through the series. Those unable to attend can enjoy following the OLBG Road to Cheltenham on television, with five of the races televised on Channel Four last season.
"The fact the race has now progressed to Grade One status as well has not only delighted all of us at OLBG, but also many owners and trainers of mares who truly appreciate all of our efforts."
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls, although not expecting to have a horse that can compete in the OLBG series this season, is certainly hopeful that will soon change.
"I have more mares in training now than I have done and am very keen to support this wonderful series," he said.
Alan King, on the other hand, already has a contender for the 2015 OLBG Mares Hurdle in L'Unique who finished third behind Quevega when contesting this year's renewal.
"We have kept L'Unique in training and she will remain over hurdles with the OLBG Mares' Hurdle her Festival target," said King.
"I've also recently just purchased a three-year-old Kayf Tara at the sales and topped the Derby sale for fillies when buying a Robin Des Champs half-sister to Raya Star for 110,000 euros. Both fillies will be trained for bumpers this season with the hope they'll progress into the type of mare that can run in the OLBG series."
Nicky Henderson is another trainer who has been busy spending money on mares at the Derby sales and was fulsome in his praise of the OLBG series.
"What wonderful news it is that OLBG are continuing to support mares' racing. I have several mares that can run in the series with Polly Peachum and Mayfair Music two in particular that I'm hoping will have a fine season," he said.
Highland Retreat won two OLBG-sponsored races last season and her trainer Harry Fry said: "The OLBG sponsored series are the races that we look to target our mares at, so much so, we are buying mares at the sales particularly with these races in mind."
Despite Quevega's retirement, Mullins may well have a prime candidate to for next year's OLBG Mares' Hurdle in Annie Power. The six-year-old lost her unbeaten record when runner-up behind More Of That in last season's World Hurdle at the Festival and connections could be tempted to run her against her own sex next March now that the race has been promoted to Grade One status.
