SINCE the possibility of Augusta Kate running in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham has gathered momentum, it is worthwhile taking stock of the performance of mares in the race. Just two mares have won the race since its inauguration in 1992 – Mucklemeg in 1994 and Total Enjoyment in 2004. (And no, 2006 winner Hairy Molly was not a mare.)

It is not a great return on the face of it, just two wins in 23 runnings, so just 8.7% of the winners were mares. The logical conclusion, therefore, is that Augusta Kate is up against it.

But dig a little deeper. Not many mares run in the Champion Bumper. In the 23-year history of the race, there have never been more than three mares in one renewal, this in a race that usually boasts between 22 and 25 runners. In total, 32 mares have run in the race from a total of 535 runners. That’s under 6%. So, actually, 8.7% of the wins from under 6% of the runners is a good return. Also, since 2008, a total of just three mares have run in the race. There were none in any year between 2010 and 2013 inclusive, there was just one in 2014, Izzini, a 50/1 shot, and just one again in 2015, Montana Belle, another 50/1 shot, who finished eighth.

Finally, when Total Enjoyment won the Champion Bumper in 2004, there were just three mares in the race. One of the others, Refinement, finished second to Tom Cooper’s mare, and the other, Blazing Liss, fell. When Mucklemeg won it in 1994, Aries Girl chased her home. They were the only two mares in the race, and they finished first and second.

So perhaps the task that is facing Augusta Kate is not so daunting after all.