Mares Hurdle Betting Preview – Cheltenham Day 1 Tips (2025)

The Mares Hurdle is the fourth race on Day 1 of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and 11 runners have been declared for one of the biggest horse racing betting heats of the season.

We’ve known the early entries for the Mares Hurdle for some time now but decisions have been made and all eyes will be on Prestbury Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Here, we look at some of the leading players in the Cheltenham odds for this year’s race, with a Mares Hurdle selection ahead of the 2025 renewal.

Willie Mullins will have broken many punters’ hearts with his decision to run his superstar Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle rather than the Champion Hurdle.

The race that was expected to decide whether Lossiemouth would take on Constitution Hill, or take up an apparently easier option in the Mares’ Hurdle the same afternoon, she took a tumble in, so everything has been up in the air ever since.

Elliott’s decision to run Brighterdaysahead in the Champion Hurdle, and leave the coast clear, more than like swayed Mullins’ decision to run in this “softer” heat.

Lossiemouth’s defeat at the hands of Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, followed by a fall at the Dublin Racing Festival are ironically the reason she will probably hose up here at odds-on.

So what of her opponents? Well, unsurprisingly Mullins has another ace mare in the pack in the shape of Jade De Grugy.

The six-year-old won three of her four starts over hurdles last season, her only defeat coming behind Golden Ace in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival.

Making her first appearance since striking Grade One gold at Fairyhouse the following month, Jade De Grugy was sent off at 5-6 for the Quevega Mares Hurdle – a race named in honour of the six-time Mares’ Hurdle heroine.

If Lossiemouth was to fluff her lines, then this daughter of Doctor Dino is the most likely mare in the field to cash in.

Nicky Henderson’s Joyeuse has been supplemented into the race and is attracting plenty of support in the betting.

A runaway winner of the newly sponsored William Hill Hurdle at Newbury last month, the six-year-old initially looked an unlikely runner in the Cotswolds, however Henderson persuaded owner JP McManus to part with the £4,800 fee to add her to Tuesday’s Grade 1 contest at the confirmation stage, and here she is – ready to take on the best mares around.

After showing battling qualities to take the Grade 2 Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster in January, JETARA is the logical each-way play in this 2m4f contest.

Jessica Harrington’s seven-year-old will obviously need to be on her absolute a-game to challenge the market leader, but at longer odds she’s definitely a resolute mare to have on your side.

The Irish trainer says Jetara will be her biggest hope of a win at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, with her owner Gerry McGrath commenting that he would rather be second or third to the likes of Lossiemouth than go anywhere else, so the omens are good for a bold show.

SELECTION: JETARA (E/W)