THIS was a Festival where we saw the female division stand up and be counted.

For those of us who felt that a mare as good as Apple’s Jade should have been sent to the Stayers Hurdle, there was some karma when she ran below form and failed in the Mares’ Hurdle after she had been directed there by connections sticking with the “run her in the race she is most likely to win” attitude.

Happily, the more daring approach bore fruit with Shattered Love, very impressive with her mares’ allowance in the JLT. On Tuesday Relegate’s had also staked a claim for the mares running in open company when winning the bumper against all the geldings, following Fayonagh’s last year. The admirable Ms Parfois had also fought valiantly against Patrick Mullins and Rathvinden in the four-miler.

After Laurina’s romp, the third win in a row for Willie Mullins in the race, the mares’ novice hurdle could become one of the weakest races of the four days and its creation, when you have a mare like Laurina, seems unnecessary.

This Festival showed top mares are more than capable of beating geldings in open company and any additions of mares’ chases are unnecessary.

Samcro might be the second coming, but what could Laurina do pitched into a proper battle?