4.10 2m. 3f. 200yds. 9 Declared. Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1 ) of £127,998.00 4-y-o plus
1st - €72,024.00 2nd - €27,136.00 3rd - €13,581.00 4th - €6,784.00 5th - €3,404.00 6th - €1,702.00 7th - €844.00 8th - €435.00
Formscan - This is a top-class renewal of this contest and Honeysuckle goes to war possibly one final time after a rather underwhelming season to date. That said, she cannot be discounted in a race of this nature and merits respect. However, MARIE'S ROCK is the clear pick to strike for the Nicky Henderson yard, as the eight-year-old won this race last year. The selection has continued in fine form subsequently and had a great preparation for this when bolting up in the Relkeel last time, which suggests that she could prove very tough to beat once again. Another fascinating contender is Love Envoi, who has only suffered defeat once in her career so far. The latest of her victories came in a Listed contest at Sandown, where she pulled impressively clear between the last two flights to score, and she could have a say.