Apple’s Jade, potentially the final leg of a short-priced four-timer on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival, contracted further in the betting for the Mares’ Hurdle on Wednesday following the news Vroum Vroum Mag, the 8-1 fourth-favourite, has been retired after failing to convince Willie Mullins she would do herself justice.
Vroum Vroum Mag won the Mares’ Hurdle in 2016 and finished a close second behind Apple’s Jade 12 months ago and was once described by Mullins as the versatile “supersub” in his team as she could compete at a high level over hurdles and in chases.
The nine-year-old started her career for the stable with six consecutive successes over fences, then swiftly progressed into a Grade One winner after reverting to hurdles in the 2015-16 season. Vroum Vroum Mag recorded Mullins’s eighth successive success in the Mares’ Hurdle and then followed up in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle a few weeks later.
A third top-level success followed in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown in December 2016, but she could finish only one-and-a-half lengths second to Apple’s Jade at Cheltenham three months later and was then seventh of 10 when favourite to repeat her Punchestown success – the only occasion in 15 starts for Mullins when Vroum Vroum Mag was out of the first two.
“I can confirm Vroum Vroum Mag has been retired, she isn’t going to make it [to Cheltenham],” Joe Chambers, the racing manager to Rich Ricci, Vroum Vroum Mag’s owner, said on Wednesday. “She’s been a hell of a mare and she’s a regally bred mare so she should make a valuable broodmare prospect.”
Apple’s Jade, who is trained by Gordon Elliott, shortened from 8-11 to a top price of 8-13 for the Mares’ Hurdle on the news of Vroum Vroum Mag’s absence, and will be shorter still on Tuesday if the first three short‑priced favourites on the card are all successful.
At present the four-timer of Getabird, in the Supreme Novice Hurdle, Footpad (Arkle Trophy), Buveur D’Air (Champion Hurdle) and Apple’s Jade works out at around 14-1, which suggests at least one of the “bankers” will fail to deliver. Few bookmakers or punters will forget the first day at Cheltenham in 2015, however, when Annie Power saved the bookies a £50m payout on a similar four-timer when she fell at the last in the Mares’ Hurdle with the race at her mercy.
This year’s first-day favourites will be saddled by the three trainers – Elliott, Mullins and Nicky Henderson – who are expected to dominate the meeting. Mullins is 6-4 favourite to finish the week as with most wins, while Elliott and Henderson are 9-4 and it is 33-1 bar the three.
Southwell 2.00 Cherubic 2.30 Bold Spirit 3.00 Dixieland Diva 3.35 Jack The Truth 4.05 Da Capo Dandy 4.40 Stuccodor 5.10 Star Ascending
Wincanton 2.10 Upham Running 2.40 Show On The Road 3.10 Muffins For Tea 3.45 Storm Home 4.15 Samburu Shujaa 4.50 Clondaw Westie 5.20 Zee Man
Carlisle 2.20 Sory 2.50 Pinch Of Ginger 3.25 Strait Run 3.55 Caraline 4.30 Louse Talk 5.00 Cultram Abbey 5.35 Shantaluze
Newcastle 5.45 Morning Skye 6.15 Night Castle 6.45 VJ Day (nap) 7.15 Testa Rossa (nb) 7.45 Abushamah 8.15 Born To Finish
Tips by Greg Wood.
