BEFORE the clouds dark-ened again on Sunday evening and sports came under a threat from tighter government Covid lockdown, we had enjoyed a terrific weekend of racing.

We had a few uplifting successes and the three big stories involved fillies and mares: Princess Zoe, Swiss Skydiver and Enable.

Two were brilliant winners from unlikely beginnings. Neither cost more than €30,000 too, which added to the achievements when we see million-guinea yearlings taking the headlines at the sales.

It was a shame to see Enable go out with a bit of a whimper in the Arc, and after the field had lost a lot of its quality, rather than be carried out on her shield as she was after last year’s Arc.

It felt like Frankie Dettori had last year’s race too much in his mind and played a cautious approach this time, but she failed to quicken off a much slower pace on heavy ground.

You do get the feeling though, from the week of no news, that connections also do not want her to go out with that rather lame effort and there must be a good chance that she would be allowed run at the British Champions meeting.

On Saturday, Princess Zoe and Swiss Skydiver showed grit and determination to overcome male opponents. And there was some much needed joy, in these times, in seeing the pride their connections had in the two horses.

The common denominator for all three was they were racing in open company, taking on colts and geldings in Group 1 competition.

This week the introduction of a mares’ chase on Gold Cup day at the Cheltenham Festival was confirmed and it replaces the novices’ handicap chase on the Tuesday card.

One of the arguments against introducing a graded mares’ chase at the Festival was that it would be an uncompetitive event with two or three of the bigger stables dominating. To quote Tom Gibney, as caught on Racing TV last week, “you’ll have Willie with some real f**kin good yoke in it”. And a look at the history of the mares’ novice hurdle would not contradict that view, with Mullins winning all five of the renewals and none of the winners have really gone on to build massively on the success.

But there are an increasing number of decent mares around. A look at the ante-post betting for the mares’ novice hurdle promises a more appealing race than in previous years. Princess Zoe, Gypsy Island, Shewearsitwell, Finest Evermore, Queens Brook, My Whirlwind, Bigbadandbeautiful. Not bad, even without Princess Zoe.

Mares are cheaper to buy, the various schemes over the last few years have created a market. And being cheaper to buy, they are ideal for syndicates as we have seen this year, as many can also be leased from their breeders for a racing career.

The Kerry National was fought out by two in Cabaret Queen and Moyhenna, though they have still to graduate to the very top level. Moyhenna and Shattered Love have entries in the Down Royal Grade 1.

Competitive division

The argument had been that having a Grade 2 mares’ chase will, over a period of a few years, lead to a more competitive division and the mares’ hurdle has come a long way since Whiteoak won the first running. Reading Patrick Mullins’ comments earlier in this paper that Benie Des Dieux has “unfinished business” with Honeysuckle could only make you look forward to the 2021 renewal and perhaps even a series of match-ups through the winter.

Yet look back at last season’s Festival and very few mares competed over fences. Put The Kettle On and Maire Banrigh in the Arkle, Happy Diva and La Bague Au Roi in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Plate Handicap Chase.

Al Boum Photo and Cyrname were the highest rated chasers last season on 173. Put The Kettle On, who raced in open company, was the highest rated mare on 155 with Happy Diva on 153. That was from a total of close to 100 horses in that ratings bracket. It’s a slow processes bringing them forward.

The fear is that it will be uncompetitive due to that small pool of quality. mares. The open races will surely still be an attraction for a top-class mare; would you not run Put The Kettle On in the Champion Chase for the prestige and with a weight allowance?

A gelding has no residual value, a mare does. She will encounter more risks over fences (Maire Banrigh injured last year) and will also be likely to retire earlier, so you are only looking at a three- to four-year timeframe to find a competitive field from the mares who go chasing. As a Grade 1, the mares’ hurdle will still be an option, as it was with Benie Des Dieux and Vroum Vroum Mag who had good chase form.

It might have been a better option to leave the Festival races as they were and introduce a mares’ race instead at the Sandown Saturday meeting to see how big a field it attracted?

The BHA’s Ruth Quinn stated this week that “having such a tempting target to aim for is sure to have a long-term impact on breeders, owners and trainers when it comes to thinking about buying a mare or keeping a mare in training and campaigning her over fences” and it’s a very valid argument.

It’s still a work in progress to see if it really justifies the addition to the meeting.