Grade 1 racing rarely makes allowances, but the mares’ allowance Vroum Vroum Mag, in particular, receives for Punchestown’s day four festival highlight could prove decisive.
Vroum Vroum Mag steps into the breach left open by Annie Power's absence from the €200,000 Betdaq Champion Hurdle to become the main hope, for both Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci, of retaining the crown won by Faugheen last year.
The 7lbs mares' allowance was a major help to Annie Power in her memorable Champion victory at Cheltenham when defeating My Tent Or Yours, and Nicky Henderson's gelding again looks the main threat to another of Mullins' star females.
The allowance theme could prove even more of a factor in today’s other Grade 1, the Tattersalls Champion Novice Hurdle, with the sole filly, Jer’s Girl, also getting an age concession against her male rivals.
Plenty to prove
If some purists get hot under the collar about the impact of such weight differentials in championship events, the reality is it is a plus point for Vroum Vroum Mag in a race in which she has plenty to prove, running against top-level males for the first time.
This is a mare who has won at three miles and is now pitching up at the minimum trip effectively as a substitute.
However, the considerable plus points are that Annie Power successfully carried out such a role in place of Faugheen at Cheltenham, while most of hurdling’s top-level males are currently housed back at her trainer’s Closutton yard and aren’t lining up.
Perhaps the most pertinent plus of all is that Mullins admits to having little idea of where Vroum Vroum Mag’s rapid rate of improvement could ultimately take her, pointing out that “she seems to come alive on the racetrack”.
Against her own sex at Cheltenham, she turned the OLBG into a formality. That was at two and a half, but she was in control at all times.
Both My Tent Or Yours and Identity Thief are proven Grade 1 winners, although both have different points to prove themselves. The latter flopped at Cheltenham, while My Tent Or Yours, absent for so long, is now taking on the hat-trick of Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown which has proved tough for others this week.
Should Vroum Vroum Mag beat them, it will confirm the remarkable range of her ability, and with that valuable 7lbs in hand, she can do just that.
Jer’s Girl made full use of the age allowance when scoring at the top-level at Fairyhouse over Easter and will get 18lbs from her eight rivals.
“She gets the age and sex allowance off the older geldings which is a great pull,” her trainer Gavin Cromwell said.
Bryan Cooper has opted for A Toi Phil over Disko among the two Gigginstown hopes, and if you forgive the horse’s lack-lustre effort behind Yorkhill in Cheltenham’s Neptune, it’s not difficult to make a case for A Toi Phil successfully conceding the weight.
Very impressive
The form of his maiden win over Don’t Touch It looks good now, and he was very impressive in beating the subsequent dual-Grade 2 winner, Acapalla Bourgeois, at Leopardstown.
A return to that sort of level should make him hard to beat, whatever allowances apply.
Ruby Walsh had a race against time to return to fitness from a fractured wrist and continues to concentrate on Grade 1 prizes this week, which leaves Paul Townend to ride the topweight Avant Tout in the €100,000 novice handicap chase.
Willie Mullins has won this race twice before with topweights, Scotsirish and Alexander Taipan, so Avant Tout can prove a major player.
On The Fringe's attempt to complete a 'double-treble' of spring festival victories in the Champion Hunters Chase will be of huge interest, while the highly rated French-bred Koshari's first start in Ireland for Willie Mullins is interesting.
