Rasen has a touch of Magic
QUEEN’S MAGIC can strike for the first time over jumps in the Love Market Rasen EBF mares’ “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle tomorrow.
It is not always seen as a drop in class when a maiden moves from handicaps back into novice company.
But in the case of Neil Mulholland’s mare, there is no doubt she faces opposition generally of a less-vaunted calibre here than she has of late.
The seven-year-old, a bumper winner and ex-irish pointer, has been consistent too.
Against novices last year, after two bumpers, and in two decent handicaps this term, she has not finished out of the first four from seven attempts since arriving from Mags Mullins.
She has earned her rating of 118 and receives 6lb from the only previous jumps winner in the field. She will not get many better chances than this.
The mares are in action again for the second race on the card at the Lincolnshire track, and this time it may be Emma Lavelle’s Viva Vittoria who has found the right opportunity.
The five-year-old has been runner-up on three of her four starts to date, and last time she was outpointed only by
Nicky Henderson’s highly-promising Yellow Dockets at Warwick.
In the Wldc Chairman’s mares’ Handicap Hurdle, she will be unlucky to find any rival as talented as that.