Ill Raise A Glass claims dramatic mares' maiden hurdle With hot-favourite Bambino Fever ruled out of the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Mares Maiden Hurdle, the 10 horses that went to post were all eyeing prize money and it was Ill Raise A Glass who secured the lion's share after a dramatic race. Susie Lenglen took the field along and was pursued by Poetisa three out where the latter made a mistake. The complexion of the race changed at the next flight, however, where both Susie Lenglen and fourth-running Doing It In Style departed leaving Ill Raise A Glass in front of Poetisa with the pair well clear of the remainder. Poetisa tried hard to close on her rival before the last, but Ill Raise A Glass (11/1) kept boxing on for Darragh O'Keeffe. The leader was in no mood to relent on the run-in as she was driven out to beat Poetisa (4/7f) by five lengths. There was a sizeable gap of 35 lengths back to Forceonmyown (6/1) in a remote third. Martin Fitzgerald said: “She did it well. "She won a bumper very well last year and she was a bit weak, she’s strengthening up great this year. “I’m not working her that hard. I expected her to come on a lot from the last day and I think she’ll come on from this today as well. “We’ll see where she takes us now, she’ll tell us. We might look for a novice hurdle somewhere and it would be nice to get a bit of black-type. “John Hennessy owns her and he bred her. Eric Kenneally owns a share in her as well and Eddie Kenneally trains in America.” Paddy Power shoved runner-up Poetisa out to 50/1 from 16/1 for the Mares' Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Additional reporting by Gary Carson
