The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase is the third race on the card on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival. Mares aged five and older will contest the Grade Two, which covers a total distance of two miles and four furlongs on the New Course.
The race has been a welcome addition to the Cheltenham calendar since 2021, but will the Irish domination continue in 2025?
Since making its debut at the Festival in 2021, the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase has been dominated by the Irish.
Each of the previous four winners have been trained outside of Britain, with that trend continuing last year when Gavin Cromwell’s Limerick Lace was an outstanding winner. Willie Mullins holds the overall record for wins with two.
The trends indicate that favourites have a poor record in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase, with no winning top-price selection going in throughout history.
However, the favourite has finished second in three of the last four renewals, with Dinoblue continuing that trend when runner-up in 2024. But, the winner of the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase has been found within the top three of the betting in each of the four editions.
Horses aged seven or eight are worth siding with, as no horse aged six or younger or nine or older has yet won the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.
Limerick Lace became the second straight seven-year-old winner of the race last year, while the first two editions were won by mares aged eight. That would be a concern for experienced mares in the race in 2025.
The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase is run as a Grade Two, and all four previous winners of the race have at least won in that class before landing the contest at the Festival.
The trends also reflect this in terms of rating, with each of the last four winners having been rated at least a TS of 123+ across their last three starts.
The stats also indicate that runners that have made at least three starts over the course of the season have an excellent record.
All four previous winners have lined up on at least three occasions before winning the Mares’ Chase. Meanwhile, proven winning experience is also a must, with all previous winners recording between six and eight victories before landing the Mares’ Chase.
