OLBG Mares' Hurdle betting
The OLBG Mares’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 race at the Cheltenham Festival for mares aged four years and upwards. The race was formerly known as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle and is contested over two and a half miles.
OLBG Mares’ Hurdle betting was dominated by Quevega between 2009 and 2014, winning a record six successive times for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.
Mullins has continued to farm this race successfully, although not without incident. Fortunes were lost in OLBG Mares’ Hurdle bets by the dramatic last flight falls of Annie Power (2015) and Benie Des Dieux (2019).
OLBG Mares' Hurdle betting tips
The unique training regime of Quevega meant that she frequently overcame an absence of almost a year to win this race.
Other winners had mostly raced within two months of the Cheltenham Festival and had winning form at the distance. An official rating of 147 or higher is usually required to win the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.
Quevega largely contributed to Willie Mullins winning nine of the first twelve runnings of this race. He has also been successful with Glens Melody, Vroum Vroum Mag and Benie Des Dieux. His record would be even more impressive had the latter stood up at the final flight in 2019.
Ruby Walsh won eight of the first twelve renewals. His record would also have been even more impressive but for those two last hurdle falls. Gordon Elliott’s victory with Apple’s Jade in 2017 means that Roksana (2019) was only the second winner not trained in Ireland after Whiteoak (2008).
OLBG Mares' Hurdle betting trends
The record-breaking Quevega was favourite for each of her six successive victories. Her longest starting price in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle odds was 2-1 favourite in 2009. She was 6-4 favourite in 2010 and started odds-on every season from 2011 to 2014.
Vroum Vroum Mag was another successful odds-on favourite in 2016. The unfortunate falls of Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux have taken the gloss off the record for favourites. Glens Melody was a fortuitous 14-1 winner in 2015 and Roksana returned at 10-1 in 2019. Whiteoak returned at 20-1 in 2008 when beating 10-1 shot Refinement by a short-head.
Whiteoak, Quevega and Apple’s Jade all won this race as five-year-olds but seven-year-olds have the best recent record. Glens Melody, Vroum Vroum Mag, Benie Des Dieux and Roksana were all winners at seven.
OLBG Mares' Hurdle ante-post betting pointers
Quevega always arrived at Cheltenham without a recent race as Mullins trained her specifically for Cheltenham and Punchestown each season.
Glens Melody won a Listed hurdle at Warwick before her victory in 2015. Vroum Vroum Mag won the Warfield Mares’ Hurdle at Ascot in January 2016 prior to winning here.
Apple’s Jade won the Quevega Hurdle at Punchestown before her success in 2017. She was beaten at odds-on in this race the following season after winning the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Quevega went on to win the World Series Hurdle at Punchestown for four successive seasons between 2010 and 2014. Vroum Vroum Mag (2016) won the Champion Hurdle and both Apple’s Jade (2017) and Benie Des Dieux (2018) won the Mares’ Champion Hurdle at the same venue.
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OLBG Mares' Hurdle betting history and memorable winners
The race was first run as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in 2008. It was named after the leading National Hunt Trainer who had 17 Cheltenham Festival winners including Gold Cup winner Charter Party in 1988.
He also had five festival winners as a jockey and rode Mill House to victory in the 1967 Whitbread Gold Cup.
Victory in the inaugural race went to Whiteoak, trained by Donald McCain Jnr and ridden by Jason Maguire. The following year it was moved to the fourth and final day of the meeting. The race was changed to the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle in 2012 and was upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 in 2015.
OLBG Mares’ Hurdle betting was all about one horse for the next six years as Quevega jumped her way into the history books. The mare was a popular OLBG Mares’ Hurdle tip every year from 2009 to 2014, starting favourite on every occasion.
Quevega was a French bred mare by Robin Des Champs trained by Willie Mullins for owner Pierre Rives. She and Ruby Walsh formed an unbeatable partnership, often poised behind the leaders before sweeping through to lead at the final flight.
Her popularity grew with every victory, elevating the profile of the race as OLBG Mares’ Hurdle bets poured on to Quevega. She was 10 years old when she beat stable companion Glens Melody in 2014 and was retired after finishing second at Punchestown later that season.
Glens Melody won the following year but in very dramatic circumstances as favourite and stable companion Annie Power crashed out at the last. She was going clear under Ruby Walsh at the time and her fall was estimated to have saved the bookmakers £50 million.
Annie Power went on to win the Champion Hurdle in 2016 where she again started favourite.
There was further drama in the 2019 OLBG Mares’ Hurdle when Benie Des Dieux produced a carbon copy of Annie Power’s fall. She had won the race in 2018 and had been nominated as Ruby Walsh’s best Cheltenham Festival bet, running in the same colours as Annie Power.
Benie Des Dieux was three lengths clear at the last when falling and presenting the race to Roksana.
OLBG Mares' Hurdle 2021
The disappointing performances of Laurina (fourth) and Apple’s Jade (sixth) in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham could see them both in contention for this race in 2021. Apple’s Jade had swept all before her in Ireland, winning her four previous races by an aggregate of 73 lengths.
If she were to return here in anything like that form in 2021, she would automatically top the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle odds.
Ruby Walsh could scarcely conceal his disappointment after Laurina had finished a well beaten fourth to Espoir D’Allen. The bare form suggests that she may have posted a career best performance that day but a step back up to two and a half miles seems likely.
Benie Des Dieux would have been in line for a hat-trick but for her dramatic late exit at Cheltenham. She had not raced since winning at Punchestown in April 2018. We probably won’t see much of her before Cheltenham in 2021.
Roksana benefitted most from the last flight drama, much to the delight of Dan and Harry Skelton. She was all out to beat Stormy Island and Good Thyne Tara but could return to defend her title.
For those seeking longer prices in the ante-post OLBG Mares’ Hurdle betting, the result of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham could provide some clues.
Willie Mullins saddled the first and second in that race with Eglantine Du Seuil (50-1) and Concertista (66-1). They were separated by only a short-head and both can be expected to make their mark in 2021.
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