'Most attractive proposition' Golden Ace targets repeat amid mares' domination

Day one of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday features three Grade 1s, the highlight being the Champion Hurdle, which is due off at 4.00pm.

The 2m event has attracted a field of nine runners, including Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace who claimed a dramatic success in the race 12 months ago.

We’ve previewed the race below and have provided a selection and best alternative.

Selection: Golden Ace @ 7/1 with Ladbrokes

Next Best: Lossiemouth @ 2/1 with Ladbrokes

Mares looks set to dominate

The Champion Hurdle has been won just eight times by mares since its inauguration in 1927, but they’ve got an exceptionally good record in recent years, successful in five of the last 10 runnings. And, with mares occupying three of the top four places in the betting for Tuesday’s race, there’s a strong chance that trend will continue, particularly with some doubts surrounding the effectiveness of The New Lion over this trip.

The absence of Constitution Hill has likely played a big part in Willie Mullins deciding to run Lossiemouth here as opposed to taking up a far easier assignment in the Close Brother Mares’ Hurdle on Thursday, a race she’s won for each of the past two years.

The seven-year-old grey proved no match for the reopposing Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown last month, showing a tendency to hanging under pressure and not looking overly in love with the heavy ground.

The way she carried herself suggests she may have been feeling something, but reports coming out of Mullins’ yard since then have been positive and she’s sure to appreciate the return to quicker ground.

She has first-time cheekpieces applied and is unbeaten in four starts at Cheltenham, three of those wins coming at the festival, so deserves the utmost respect.

Ace set for a repeat?

There’s no doubt that GOLDEN ACE was a fortunate winner of last year’s race, with both Constitution Hill and State Man crashing out. However, Scott’s representative is a tough, hardy and consistent performer and I’m expecting her to make a bold bid to retain her crown.

She has finished in front of Brighterdaysahead at the last two Festivals, appearing to outstay Gordon Elliott’s mare when landing the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in 2024 and pulling almost 20 lengths of that rival when causing a 25-1 upset in this 12 months ago.

Ahead of Anzadam when winning the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November (she was poised to challenge when The New Lion fell at the second-last) and was only 3lb below that form when chasing home the brilliant Sir Gino at Kempton over Christmas.

Official figures put her 7lb behind both Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead, but she’s available at each-way prices, which makes her the most attractive proposition of that trio.

Lion has something to prove

Dan Skelton ’s The New Lion enjoyed a fantastic first season over hurdles, culminating in a victory at the festival in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle over 2m5f.

The decision to drop him back to 2m this term was a bit surprising and the jury is out on his effectiveness at the trip, the seven-year-old under pressure when taking a heavy fall two in the Fighting Fifth on his reappearance and running to a Racing Post Rating of only 147 when beating Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion in the International Hurdle on the New Course here in January.

He’s got to concede 7lb to the three mares in opposition and significant improvement will be required if he’s to do that.