Tag Archive for: Relkeel Hurdle

Marie’s Rock lifts Relkeel title on Cheltenham return

/in /by

Marie’s Rock bounded back into action with a convincing triumph in the careers@dornangroup.com Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The Nicky Henderson-trained mare has not been seen since April, when she signed off her season with a superb Grade One double in mares’ contests at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

Back in action against geldings in this Grade Two heat, the mare took no time to hit her stride when coming home a wide-margin winner at 11-2 under Nico de Boinville.

Getting weight all round, she made smooth progress to grab the lead from Dashel Drasher and galloped six lengths clear, with stablemate First Street a further head back in third.

Betfair make Marie’s Rock a 4-1 chance from 8s to defend her Mares’ Hurdle title in March, while she is 16-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle.

Henderson said: “It was remarkable. I was trying to train her early on in the year and I couldn’t see anywhere for her to go. She wants two and a half (miles), perfect trip for her, but there wasn’t a race for her until the Relkeel.

“I tried to train her early on in the year and she wasn’t showing anything, which is what she did two years ago, when she took a year out.

“So I stopped and started again. All of a sudden, her work was completely different again. So you can guess what I’m going to tell you now?

“She will go for the Mares’ Hurdle. They only thing you could have said, the original idea might have been to try her over three miles earlier on. It (possible race) was over three miles and it was Listed, but I wasn’t happy with her.

“Do you do Stayers’ Hurdle? I don’t know. She tanked up there. I think she would have taken a blow at the top of the Cleeve Hill.

Marie’s Rock grabbed the lead from Dashel Drasher
Marie’s Rock grabbed the lead from Dashel Drasher (left) (David Davies/PA)

“We have all got to get everywhere. It is great getting your ducks in order, but you have to get them in the right order and they have all got to be swimming downstream at the right time.”

He added: “I surprised me how well she did it. To do that was pretty impressive. Nico was always sat there having a lovely time. She gets through this ground – this is not nice ground – but she sort of scampers along. She is not like one of these great big, long-striding chasers that can’t get through it. She scampered and she gets through it better than most.

“I can’t see any point in going anywhere with her before Cheltenham.

“First Street has run a great race. He just didn’t get two and a half in that sort of ground. He was going plenty well enough at the last. He couldn’t quicken and flattened out. He wants to come back to two miles on better ground.”

De Boinville was impressed with his mount’s returning effort.

He said: “It was very, very impressive. I was surprised she was that impressive in that ground – it was dead and sticky and not very nice at all. Everyone at Seven Barrows has done a great job getting her ready for today and she felt fresh and jumped brilliantly. She is just a true Grade One mare.

“I didn’t want to go for her too soon as that last hurdle is stepped back quite far. I was mindful that it was her first race of the season, but as soon as I’ve winged the last, she set off up the hill and stayed on really well. I’m delighted with the run, and she is just a fantastic mare.”

Marie’s ready to rock on Cheltenham return

/in /by

Dual Grade One winner Marie’s Rock returns to action on Sunday in a high-class renewal of the careers@dornangroup.com Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, the Middleham Park Racing-owned mare returned from a spell in the doldrums to cause something of a surprise in the David Nicholson Hurdle at the Festival in March before proving that was no fluke by beating stablemate Epatante at Punchestown.

She is taking on geldings on her return to action, but this has always been the plan with the major spring festivals foremost in the mind of connections.

“Last year was very special indeed. I’m not sure if we’d won a graded race before so for her to go and win two Grade Ones and be crowned leading hurdler at The McCoys topped it off,” said Middleham Park’s Tom Palin.

“I think it meant that bit more to the members as we went through a significant down with her, we lost her and just couldn’t get her right.

“It’s hugely exciting she’s back, but things will be harder this year with penalties which is why she hasn’t been out until now. There were no issues, this was always the plan and time will tell if it was right our wrong.

“She’s got two crowns to defend this season and it has been very much the plan to work backwards from them. This was the logical target and it has been for six months.

“Her work at home has been excellent, as well as she has ever worked Nicky reported, and Nico (de Boinville) texted me the other day to say how much he was looking forward to riding her again.

Connections of Marie’s Rock celebrate after winning the Mares' Hurdle
Connections of Marie’s Rock celebrate after winning the Mares’ Hurdle (Nigel French/PA)

“She requires a career-best to win this, though, because with the International Hurdle not being rearranged a few have rerouted here. I’ve been involved in racing for 15 years and I can’t remember this race ever looking as strong as it does this year.

“On the figures, with her allowance she should be bang there. It looks a very tight race but it is the first time we are taking geldings on in Pattern company. It will be interesting to see how the 7lb transfers. On a line through Epatante and Stormy Ireland, who won this last year, we should be involved.

“We’re going there thinking we’ve got a chance but so will be the connections of Knappers Hill, I Like To Move It and Nicky’s other runner, First Street. I wouldn’t swap ours, though.”

Knappers Hill is on a four-race winning streak and comfortably saw off Sceau Royal in the Elite Hurdle last time out, for which he must shoulder a penalty.

Knappers Hill is on a winning streak
Knappers Hill is on a winning streak (Nigel French/PA)

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls had aimed him at the International Hurdle but the meeting was frozen off so now he is stepping up in trip.

Nicholls told Betfair: “Knappers Hill is in great form, it’s a shame the meeting didn’t go ahead the other day when the ground was good.

“There is rain forecast but good to soft will be fine for him. He’s very well. It’s a good-looking race but hopefully he’ll run very well.”

Brewin’upastorm has never had much luck at Cheltenham but Olly Murphy is not afraid to send him back to Prestbury Park once more.

“It is an extremely competitive renewal of the race especially after the abandonment of the International Hurdle at the track earlier this month,” said Murphy.

“On his day he is very good. I felt he needed the run badly at Ascot and I’m looking forward to running him in this.

“If he turns up with his A game I think he has an each-way chance, but he is in good form.

“I feel we have a bit of unfinished business here. He has been to Cheltenham four times and finished rider-less on three of them including when falling at the last in this race 12 months ago.

“I felt on two of those occasions he would have won, while what would have happened in the Arkle I’m not sure.

“He deserves a race like this but this is probably the most competitive race, bar his Grade Ones at Aintree, that he has run in for a while. If he gets everything go right, he should go well.”

Marie’s Rock and First Street in line for Relkeel clash

/in /by

Marie’s Rock and First Street will give Nicky Henderson a strong hand in the careers@dornangroup.com Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

The Seven Barrows handler has saddled three previous winners of the Grade Two contest, with Zaynar triumphing in 2009 and Oskar Whisky registering back-to-back victories in 2011 and 2012.

The likely favourite for this year’s renewal is Marie’s Rock, who won the Mares’ Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival before rounding off her campaign with further Grade One success at Punchestown.

The eight-year-old has not been seen in competitive action since the latter of those wins eight months ago, but is reported to be in rude health ahead of her reappearance.

“We’ve waited all season with her, but to be fair this is the only two-and-a half-mile race I can find for her as that is her trip. There just has been nowhere to go with her,” said Henderson.

“She really has been in great form and has just come to herself. She has done plenty at home as she has been in training all the way through.

“She has to start somewhere and two and a half miles around Cheltenham is the ideal track and trip to get her going over.”

Marie’s Rock is set to be joined by stablemate First Street, who was runner-up to State Man in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last spring and made a successful return in the Grade Three Gerry Feilden at Newbury in November.

First Street on his way to victory at Newbury last month
First Street on his way to victory at Newbury last month (John Walton/PA)

Henderson added: “First Street could have run in the Christmas Hurdle but I don’t think that would have been a good idea so we have decided to go back up in trip with him.

“We have tried him over similar trips before and he is a very good horse. It was a very good performance in the Gerry Feilden, so he is entitled to have a crack at this.

“Whether he will stay two-and-a-half I don’t know. He might just be a two-miler at the end of the day, but if he gets the trip it will be great.”