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After a mix-up of the schedule, the Mares’ Chase (Grade 2) is now on the Cheltenham Festival for 2022. A 2½-mile race for those aged five and over, the race looks like attracting a very good field. We have all the Mares’ Chase odds, tips and much more. For all Cheltenham races odds, visit our page.
Mare’s Chase Odds Winner – Favourites 2022
As this is a new race, bookmakers have struggled to form really telling Mares’ Chase odds. In the build-up to the Festival, however, here is how the prices stack up.
Mare’s Chase Tips
Willie Mullins and the Gordon Elliott/Denise Foster yards have a strong hand in this Cheltenham 2022 chase, run on the final day. Both Elimay and Mount Ida feature strongly in the favourites at this stage, vying for early favourites. Already this looks like a competitive race with a number of top-class mares being aimed at the event.
Elimay
Owned by one of Cheltenham’s all-time great owners JP McManus, Elimay is a solid early favourite for the 2022 Mares’ Chase.
Trained by multiple champion trainer Willie Mullins, this seven-year-old mare has tons of improvement in her. As well as her age, she has only run six times over fences up to the end of the 2020/21 season, never finishing outside of the first two.
Elimay was in fact second to Colreevy in the 2021 renewal. She was a little young and inexperienced for that, though she still only went down by a half-length. She has won at Fairyhouse since then, handles the track and stays well. She’ll be tough to keep out of the first two for sure.
Mount Ida
Rather than Denise Foster, Mount Ida may well be back officially in the care of Gordon Elliott at the next Festival.
Mount Ida was beaten by Elimay at Fairyhouse at the end of last season. On that score, she’d be a distant second-best for the Mares’ Chase however she was nowhere near her best that day.
Furthermore, she has a little less mileage in her over fences and is open to more improvement. She also showed her liking for Cheltenham at the 2021 Festival when running away with the Kim Muir by some 6½ lengths.
Mares’ Chase Cheltenham Festival
While some don’t like change, we feel it’s great to see another new race on the Festival Day 4. We have all the details on what makes up the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham as we begin another new era.
Race History
As recently as October, Cheltenham Racecourse and the BHA announced that the new Grade 2 Mares’ Steeple Chase would be added to the Festival roster for 2021.
The Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham has replaced the Listed Novices’ Handicap Chase, traditionally staged on the first day. The authorities recognised the importance of the race this has replaced, and moved it to Sandown Park instead.
While Mares’ Chase odds will take some time to settle down and the race comes in at Grade 2 level, it has been given a major boost from the beginning. It will be staged on Friday, Gold Cup day, meaning Mares’ Chase favourites in 2022 are on a major stage.
Prize Money
The prize money for the Mares’ Chase isn’t up to the levels of the major Grade 1 races. That said, it remains the fourth most valuable race on Gold Cup Day.
In 2021, the purse was set at £90,000 with the winner taking home £50,000. 2022 prize money levels haven’t yet been set, but it’s assumed they will increase heavily with crowds allowed back on course.
The Mares’ Chase has started well enough in terms of its prize fund. Prize money levels do need to increase, however. In 2023, there may even be a fifth day at the Festival and so plenty is needed to attract horses to the newer races to justify it, including this event.
Famous Chasing Mares
Plenty of excellent mares will be competing for hurdle prizes. But, precious few get to the Gold Cup or other major chase races.
Dawn Run, however, after whom races have been named, was the brilliant mare who ran over this 2½-mile trip to great effect and even went on to win the 1986 Gold Cup. She remains the last mare to win the Blue Riband. While that race is at the top level it goes to show how tough it is for the females over fences.
For any in the Mares’ Chase odds to be in her class, they will need to win this very well!
Mares’ Chase – FAQs
Before finalising your Mares’ Chase tips, check out the answers to these most asked questions about the newest race at Cheltenham.
What Time is the Mares’ Chase Cheltenham 2022?
While the final line-up is not yet complete, it’s very likely that the Mares’ Chase will once again be the penultimate race on Gold Cup Day. In 2021, it was staged at 4.15pm.
Who Won the Mares’ Chase Last Year?
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend won yet another big race in the 2021 Mares’ Chase. Their Colreevy ran out the 9/4 winner ahead of stablemate Elimay.
Which Horse is the Favourite to Win in 2022?
Elimay, runner-up in 2021, is the clear early favourite to improve by one place and take the 2022 Mares’ Chase.
