MARE OF THE SAME
Laurina stroll expected as she gets ready for Festival
LAURINA is impossible to oppose in today’s Coral Quevega Mares Hurdle in Punchestown, her final outing before bidding for Unibet Champion Hurdle glory at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old is unbeaten in five starts since joining champion trainer Willie Mullins, who has won this listed event with subsequent Champion winner Annie
Power, Limini and Meri
Devie in the last three years.
Currently third favourite for the Cheltenham showpiece on March 12, when she and Gordon
Elliott’s star Apple’s Jade will bid to become only the fifth mare to win the Champion, 155-rated Laurina appears to have a straightforward task today, in a seven runner mares event, in which her stable-companions Good Thyne Tara (147) and Stormy Ireland (145) are next best on ratings.
Winner of the mares novice at Cheltenham last year, Laurina went on to slam another of today’s rivals Lackaneen Leader in the Grade 1 mares race at Fairyhouse last Easter.
On her belated seasonal debut last month, Laurina slammed sole rival Sensulano (rated 134) by 48 lengths in a listed event in Sandown.
With Stormy Ireland a confirmed front-runner, Ruby Walsh might get a lead for part of the journey on Laurina and anything other than a comfortable success for the long odds-on favourite would be a major surprise.
Earlier, Elliott’s Final List, third to Polished Steel at Thurles last time, might improve sufficiently for the step-up to two and a half miles to land the nap in the INH Stallion Owners Maiden Hurdle, in which Calicojack, runner-up to the smart Sinora at Down Royal last time, might give him most to do.
BULMERS Gold Cup favourite Presenting Percy (inset) is one of 11 entries for the Grade 3 Betvictor Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on Saturday. And his owner Philip Reynolds indicated yesterday that it’s ‘50/50’ whether he’ll run there or go straight to Cheltenham.