Festival clues galore as top mares Put The Kettle On, Elimay and Mount Ida clash

Saturday: 2.40 Fairyhouse
John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase (Grade 3) | 2m5½f | 5yo+ | RTV

Connections of Put The Kettle On are hoping Saturday's cracking Grade 3 clash with top mares Elimay and Mount Ida can shed light on where the gutsy Champion Chase heroine heads at this season's Cheltenham Festival.

After being beaten by ten and a half lengths on her comeback behind Nube Negra in the Shloer Chase, the two-time festival winner was earmarked for a step up in trip by Henry de Bromhead.

This 2m5½f test will be the longest distance that the 159-rated performer has ever tried, although of greater concern could be the fact she must give away weight to all rivals, including 4lb to improving Kim Muir winner Mount Ida and 7lb to Mares' Chase runner-up Elimay.

Put The Kettle On (right): seemingly at her best at CheltenhamCredit: Tim Goode (Getty Images)

"We're hopeful that this trip will suit her," said John Dermody of the One For Luck Racing Syndicate, owners of Put The Kettle On.

"She won over two and a half miles back when she was rated 133 and at the time we had been thinking about her as a potential one for Galway Plate – we felt she might be a stayer. It was only when we stepped into Graded novice company that we found out she was so effective over two miles."

He added: "Stamina has been her strong suit in winning races like the Arkle and it's possible that on good ground over two miles she might just find it a bit sharp. The ground was slower when she won the Shloer last season, compared to when she was third in it this time.

"We'll know more after this about where she fits in in terms of trip. If it suited her then options like the Ryanair and Mares' Chase come under consideration, although if the ground looked testing you couldn't rule out the Champion Chase for all that it looks a hot division."

What they say

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Scarlet And Dove
She's a good, solid mare and this is looks a hot race. We're hoping that she can pick up more black type and some prize money. We hoped going into her first start back at Clonmel that she'd come on for the run.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Mount Ida
She's in very good form and this was always the plan after Clonmel. I was very happy with her on her comeback and, while it's a very good edition of the race, I'm looking forward to seeing how she gets on.

Elimay: just denied by Colreevy in last season's Mrs Paddy Power Mares' ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Tom Mullins, trainer of Court Maid
She's at that rating [of 150] now where we're stepping into this sort of company. The small field should suit and she's in great form. She's the only one in here who hasn't run yet this season, so that might tell late on but I'm just hoping that she runs a nice race. It's great to get her back going again. She picked up a hock injury when she did the splits at Punchestown in April. She probably wants three miles but we'll see how she gets on here before looking at further plans.

Frank Berry, racing manager to JP McManus, owner of Elimay
She had two trips to England in a short space of time [with her intended target initially abandoned at Carlisle] and maybe that took its toll on her last time at Aintree. Willie [Mullins] seems to be happy with her, so we're hoping for a good run in what looks a competitive race.

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