Cheltenham Festival: Only By Night could be a sneaky one for the Mares’ Chase – if she stays

*Paddy Power is now Non Runner Money Back for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. That means that if your selection does not line up in the race you back it in for any reason – you will now get your stake back. TC’s apply. 

*Paddy also has the more traditional ante-post market where you will lose your stake if your selection doesn’t run in the race for whatever reason. 

Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’ is back as host Tom Nugent picks the brains of the Festival’s winning-most jockey turned TV pundit Ruby Walsh and well-known journalist and broadcaster Rory Delargy for their Cheltenham betting tips.

In the third episode of this year’s series, the gang have looked at the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase ahead of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

RUBY WALSH

Allegorie De Vassy was much better at Fairyhouse. If you could convince yourself, she does jump to her right which is a bit of a drawback for her, that she was going to run her race, she’d be in the mix.

She just can blow out – she definitely bounced back on New Year’s Day in good fashion and put a disappointing run at Clonmel behind herself. I’m assuming she has the option of the Opera Hat, which is Sunday week, and I’d be surprised if she didn’t go there.

She is rock solid, that said I suppose I kind of had thought she had gone as far as she could go at the end of last season. She was covered – she didn’t take and she’s back in training so there could surely be a younger mare there.

She’s not that old, but she’s plenty of racing done. If you go there as an owner, you’re entitled to go there thinking you have a chance but does that mean you want to hold a docket, I’m not so sure.

Dinoblue

Dinoblue has not had a wind operation that I’m aware of – she wore a tongue tie at Leopardstown. She’s still in the yard.

Sometimes wind ops are all in, there’s other times wind ops are all out and at the moment wind ops seem to be out. Now that might change but tongue ties are all in at the minute. Cross nose bands, wind ops seem to be a thing of the past.

A dark horse

I’m just trying to figure out will Only By Night stay – her only run over two and a half was at Fairyhouse last year. She was gone, though, behind Jade De Grugy.

The way she travelled at Cork to me she didn’t look like she had the early pace for two miles – she went from off the pace and warmed up into it. She could be a sneaky one.

*Paddy Power is now Non Runner Money Back for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. That means that if your selection does not line up in the race you back it in for any reason – you will now get your stake back. TC’s apply. 

*Paddy also has the more traditional ante-post market where you will lose your stake if your selection doesn’t run in the race for whatever reason. 

Read More

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• Cheltenham Mares’ Hurdle Tips: Rory Delargy’s each-way 20/1 ante-post shout
• Cheltenham Champion Chase Tips: Jonbon to win but these 25/1 & 50/1 plays can pick up the pieces in the Champion Chase
• When is the Cheltenham Festival 2025? Dates for this year’s mega meeting
• Cheltenham Festival race times and schedule for 2025 meeting
• Pertemps Final qualification races and eligible horses for Cheltenham Festival 2025

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