Mares' Hurdle 2022: 15 entered for Cheltenham Grade 1 contest

Last year's impressive Mares' Novices' Hurdle winner Telmesomethinggirl is one of 15 entries received for the Mares' Hurdle, which is a Grade 1 event run over 2m 4f on day one of the Cheltenham Festival on March 15...

Henry De Bromhead's seven-year-old Telmesomethinggirl produced a scintillating performance at last year's festival to be Magic Daze emphatically by over over five lengths, and she will return to Prestbury Park next Tuesday to compete in the Mares' Hurdle, a race she is a prominent figure in the betting for. She's yet to taste victory since that victory, but she showed signs of recapturing her best form last time out when chasing home Royal Kahala and Heaven Help Us in a Grade 3 event at Leopardstown in December. Giving her rivals weight in that event, De Bromhead's charge will line up off level weights in this Grade 1 event, so has to fancy turning the form around.

Royal Kahala has been entered for the event, but connections are likely to send her to the Stayers' Hurdle later in the week, while last year's shock 33/1 Coral Cup winner Heaven Help Us is likely to lock horns with Telmesomethinggirl and is a leading feature towards the head of the betting.

Gordon Elliott saddled Apple's Jade to glory in this race back in 2017, and the Cullentra House handler will saddle a notable contender in the shape of Queens Brook, who has been steadily backed over the last couple of weeks into single-figured odds. She was last seen chasing home Burning Victory in a Grade 3 event, and that pair could clash again with the 2020 Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory one of the leading fancies for Willie Mullins, who has won this race a staggering nine times.

Having trained Quevega to a sensational six wins in this contest, Willie Mullins is always a man to keep a close eye on and not only will he saddle the aforementioned Burning Victory, but the Closutton handler will let Stormy Ireland take her chance, and she has excellent Cheltenham form having won the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year's Day at Prestbury Park. Former Mares' Novices' Hurdle heroine Concertista is another eye-catching entry from the Mullins camp, but she's set to line up in the Mares' Chase on Cheltenham Gold Cup, while the likes of Dysart Diamond and Echoes In Rain could also feature here.

Paul Nolan's Mrs Milner was a tremendous five length winner of the Pertemps Final at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, and the classy seven-year-old will attempt to make it back-to-back wins at the National Hunt extravaganza, while Nicky Henderson's recent Warwick winner Marie's Rock showed her best form last time out, and she adds more intrigue to a wide open renewal.

Lucy Wadham's Martello Sky got the better of Indefatigable when the pair clashed at Cheltenham earlier in the season, and that pair both hold an entry here, with the latter of that duo aiming to follow up his win in the 2020 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.