'She's in great form and this has always been the target' - who fancies his mare in Doncaster's Grade 2 hurdle?

The location and date of this Grade 2 race for mares might have changed, but it has still attracted top-level winner Marie's Rock and fellow Cheltenham Festival scorer You Wear It Well in a six-strong field with real depth.

Nicky Henderson declared three runners for the original version on Ascot's Clarence House card last weekend and all head for the salvaged race with Marie's Rock, who did the Grade 1 mares' hurdle double at Cheltenham and Punchestown in 2022, leading the way.

Second to Bob Olinger in the Relkeel Hurdle 27 days ago, Marie's Rock will look to enhance her claims for another crack at the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at the festival in March, for which she is around 20-1.

She is joined by stablemates Theatre Glory, a faller at the final flight at Cheltenham last time when still in contention, and Tweed Skirt, who won a handicap chase at Kempton over Christmas.

Henderson said: "Marie's Rock is in great form and this has always been the target; it's a nice race for her. Tweed Skirt is coming back to hurdles after running over fences last time and we're looking for black type for her. We've got a bit on our plate with a couple of them, but she's in good form and will like the ground. Theatre Glory is a high-class mare who is in good form."

You Wear It Well: won last season's Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Jamie Snowden's plans for last season's Mares' Novice Hurdle winner You Wear It Well have been plagued by the bad weather, meaning the seven-year-old takes a big step up in trip from the rearranged Fighting Fifth when she was favourite but finished third of four.   

"She's been a star all the way through, coming back after her novice season to win that Listed race at Wetherby very well," the trainer said. "She ran nicely enough in the Fighting Fifth where she probably just found that deep Sandown ground quite taxing. 

"We've been keen to go over two and a half miles but her intended starts were cancelled. We had the choice at Doncaster of either two miles on the Saturday or three miles here and thought, as the ground was drying, we'd try three miles. It's a big step up from two miles, but she's bred for the trip and if she does stay, hopefully she's got a decent chance." 

West Balboa is also on a retrieval mission after finishing last as the 3-1 favourite in the Long Walk, with Tristan Durrell taking over from the suspended Harry Skelton.

Trainer Dan Skelton, winner of the last two runnings of the race, said: "She's in good form and I'm very happy with her. She takes on Marie's Rock and You Wear It Well, which isn't going to be easy, but she belongs in this grade. She's got to put an ordinary run last time behind her but she was way too keen from the get-go."

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