A beaten favourite at the last three festivals - can Dinoblue finally get off the mark at Cheltenham in the Mares' Chase?

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The Mares’ Chase has been dominated in all senses by the Irish since its introduction in 2021. Sixty-five per cent of all the runners have been trained in Ireland, which has seen the raiders land all four runnings, including having the first five home in the inaugural year.

JP McManus has been responsible for the majority of that success, having owned the winner of the last three runnings, including last year’s one-two Limerick Lace and Dinoblue, who are both back again.

Dinoblue arrived here 12 months ago with stamina to prove but in what looked to be top form, having landed an open Grade 1 at Leopardstown before chasing home El Fabiolo in the Dublin Chase.

She was ridden patiently at Cheltenham, likely to give her the best chance of staying, but couldn’t peg back Limerick Lace, who was officially rated 13lb lower than her.

That was the third time Dinoblue had been a beaten favourite at the festival, having been turned over at 11-8 in the Mares’ Novice and at 7-2 in the Grand Annual, and she again leaves herself open to the suggestion that she can’t replicate her best here.

Dinoblue also hasn’t been right at her best this year, nor has Limerick Lace, who has been beaten 76 and 25 lengths in two starts since finishing tenth in the Grand National.

Has Aintree’s showpiece left its mark on her, or has she been minded to peak at the right time? If it’s the latter, and the cheekpieces elicit some sort of response, she could go close, but Keith Donoghue rides her stablemate Brides Hill this time.

Brides Hill did nothing but improve last season, winning all four starts between September and May, latterly romping home 21 lengths to the good in a Grade 2 at Punchestown.

She’s been turned over at odds of 2-5 and 4-7 in two starts this season, and although she can be given a pass for her reappearance, there were no excuses last time.

Her victor Telepathique is a thriving mare, though, and time may tell that it wasn’t a bad run at all. Brides Hill’s best form puts her right up there, and she gives the impression that she’ll be suited by this extra emphasis on stamina.

Allegorie De Vassy would probably want softer ground and is better on a right-handed circuit, but she was second behind Impervious in this two years ago and has a shout on her best form in what looks an open contest.
Analysis by Harry Wilson

Dinoblue: is it a Cheltenham problem?

The big question around Dinoblue is perhaps best brought into focus by Wednesday's Champion Chase. Much like with Jonbon, the overarching question has to simply be: is she as effective at Cheltenham?

Dinoblue's case isn't quite as extreme as Jonbon's, who is 15 from 15 everywhere else, but two from six at Cheltenham. She is seven from 15 elsewhere and zero from three at Cheltenham.

And yet, three times she has come to the festival as a well-fancied favourite. And three times she has met with defeat at the finish line.

Racing Post Tipster Robbie Wilders said: "Does Dinoblue act around Cheltenham? That is a reasonable question to ask.

Limerick Lace ridden by Keith Donoghue wins the Mares' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival

Limerick Lace beats Dinoblue in last season's Mares' ChaseCredit: Andrew Parker

"This mare has let down favourite backers at the past three festivals and is short odds to make it fourth time lucky. There is enough evidence to suggest she does.

"Let us look at Dinoblue’s three previous runs at the meeting. The story began when she finished ninth in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the 2022 festival. We can forgive her for that. She only made her debut two months earlier but refused to settle at Cheltenham, finding the occasion all too much at that point of her career. The same has happened to many good novices who were alien to the festival cauldron over the years.

"Fences proved the making of Dinoblue the following campaign and she headed into March a warm order to win the Grand Annual at odds of 7-2. While unable to justify the market plunge despite looking a handicap snip off 140, she couldn’t get the job done again. However, she bumped into another well-treated mare on that occasion and pulled nicely clear of the third.

"Patience would have been wearing thin among Dinoblue supporters after her narrow defeat in the Mares’ Chase in 2024. She was ridden to get the trip on deteriorating ground conditions that day and saw out the stiff 2m4½f well enough on the surface when narrowly beaten.

"She was weak in the market and the money came for mud-loving mare Limerick Lace, who is also owned by McManus. Run that race again on a quicker surface with Dinoblue given a more aggressive ride and there is a strong suspicion those positions would be emphatically reversed.

"She is the best mare in this field and I would put nobody off giving her one final chance."

What they say

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Brides Hill, Limerick Lace and Je T’ai Porte
Brides Hill will love the ground. I know she has been beaten a couple of times this season but she has come forward plenty for those and I think she will run very well. Limerick Lace hasn't performed this season but her work has been good. We're putting cheekpieces on for the first time. She won the race last year on slower ground and if she puts her best foot forward she will be bang there. Je T'Ai Porte is an outsider and is probably going to struggle to stay but hopefully she will run her race.

Tom Symonds, trainer of Royale Margeaux
I was delighted that she was able to win a Listed race at Warwick last time, but we’re under no illusions about the task she’s facing here. That win last time was her best run to date and her experience at Cheltenham will help her, as will the conditions. The way we ride her now I would hope that we can pick off a few late on and she can show up nicely for us.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Shecouldbeanything
She's been a revelation all season. She's already won four over fences and I felt she was worth a shot at it. She's been in great form at home.
Reporting by Peter Scargill

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