THE introduction of the Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, now run as a Grade 1, still causes some debate and some still do not believe it justifies its inclusion on the Festival menu.

However, the race has come a long way since Whiteoak won the first running in 2008 by a short-head from Refinement.

Quevega ruled supreme in the period since, a clearly superior mare taking on a variety of lesser opponents. In her absence this year, Annie Power dominates the betting but she has other options and Willie Mullins has a strong hand in the mares category.

Despite criticism in some quarters the race can easily be justified. It takes any new race a time to bed in. More mares are being raced than ever before, the quality improving and inevitably that is good for the sport. If Annie Power goes elsewhere, this year’s race is the most high quality yet.

There are also a wider range of owners involved too, the like of Carrigmoorna Rock, Little King Robin, Glens Melody, Lyrical Theatre, Morning Run, while in Britain, Bitofapuzzle and Tara Point have impressed.

It arguably carries much more merit than a juvenile hurdle for horses that are not good enough to run in the Grade 1 race. We don’t hear the argument, the juveniles are a poor crop let’s scrap that race.

You could also argue that it took a few outstanding horses like Baracouda, Inglis Drever and Big Bucks to elevate the World Hurdle from the old stayers hurdle into a championship race in its own right and not just a race for horses who had become too slow for two miles.

There are seven or eight high-class Irish mares in the reckoning this year and it’s also a good betting race with doubts over Annie Power.

There was the argument that it took a top mare away from the other races, but that’s only been the Mullins policy to keep his horses apart, and put them in the races they are most likely to win.

Not all trainers will be of the same mind so should a high class mare arrive, it’s more than likely she would be given a crack at the Champion Hurdle or Gold Cup in time.

Not only is the Mares Hurdle worth its place on the Festival card but as it has fulfilled its mission in making National Hunt mares a more valuable commodity. It will inevitably lead to a mares’ chase too. The girls are here to stay.