Jade De Grugy could yet emerge as Willie Mullins’ chief hope of winning an 11th Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival following a comprehensive comeback victory at Punchestown.
The six-year-old won three of her four starts over hurdles last season, her only defeat coming when fourth behind Golden Ace in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
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 BetVictor Quevega Mares Hurdle – a race named in honour of the champion trainer’s six-time Mares’ Hurdle heroine.
After initially getting a lead, Paul Townend allowed his mount to take over early in the home straight and she kept on well after the final flight to score by six lengths from 40-1 outsider Mousey Brown.
Coral make Jade De Grugy a 3-1 chance from 4-1 for Cheltenham and warned she could go off favourite if Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead (1-2 favourite) and the Mullins-trained Lossiemouth (5-4) instead take on the boys in the Champion Hurdle.
“It was a lovely run, it was a nice comeback to racing,” said Mullins.
“Annie Power won this race before winning the Champion Hurdle a few years ago and it has been won in the past by a mare (Black Tears) before winning the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
“She had worked nicely at home and I was very happy with her coming here. She showed me today what she had showed me at home.
“I think she’ll improve a fair bit for the race, which leaves us in a good position going to Cheltenham.
“I’ve no ground issues with her. Carrying the weight she carried today against nice opposition, I think is a good sign.”
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Willie Mullins’ Kargese is nearing a return to action, as connections chart a course to the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
As well as being a dual Grade One winner as a juvenile with big victories at both the Dublin and Punchestown Festivals, the Kenny Alexander-owned five-year-old also gave high-class rivals Majborough and Sir Gino plenty to think about when runner-up in the Triumph Hurdle and at Aintree in the spring.
The aim is to go one better at Prestbury Park in March and Kargese could follow the route Lossiemouth took to the Mares’ Hurdle by running in the Unibet Hurdle on Festival Trials day later this month.
Kargese – runner-up in the Triumph at Cheltenham and at Aintree – comes from last to first in the Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle @punchestownrace
“Willie seems very happy with her and she’s very close to a run he’s said, she’ll run sometime this month,” said Peter Molony, Alexander’s racing manager.
“She could go to Cheltenham at the end of the month possibly, or there are other options, but we will see, we just decided to give her a bit of time in the early part of the season. The Mares’ is where I would have thought we are heading.”
Kargese’s conquerors Sir Gino and Majborough look set to carry all before them over fences this term and their early chasing escapades give connections plenty of confidence Kargese can also continue to flourish this term.
Kargese (left) bumped into Majborough at the Cheltenham Festival (Adam Davy/PA)
Molony continued: “Watching back those two races in the spring, coming to the last she was absolutely galloping over both Majborough and Sir Gino, but having pulled quite hard early, she just ran out of steam.
“If she learns to settle, I think she could be very exciting.”
Alexander-owned stablemate Jade De Grugy was another to land top honours last term, but plans for an intended chasing campaign have been put on hold for the time being following an interrupted first half of the season.
Also quoted at single-figure odds in the betting for the Mares’ Hurdle, it is hoped she will return before the end of the campaign, but there is no timescale being placed on her reappearance.
Jade De Grugy is an exciting prospect for owner Kenny Alexander (Brian Lawless/PA)
“She’s very exciting and the plan was to go chasing with her, but she had a small setback and she’s had a few weeks off and only just come back into training,” added Molony.
“At this stage we will probably stick to hurdling with her as it will be the latter third of the season when she will be running, so there is no point running over fences at that stage of the year.
“It’s just a watching brief at home, but hopefully we will see her at some point.”
There was also a reminder from Molony not to forget Gala Marceau, a Grade One winner and Triumph runner-up in her juvenile days, but not seen at her very best during the last campaign.
Gala Marceau is nearing a return to action (Mike Egerton/PA)
Last sighted chasing home Lossiemouth at Punchestown, she is soon to reappear following a setback that has kept her sidelined so far this winter.
“She had a knee operation at the beginning of the season, just for something niggly that was giving her a few problems last year,” explained Molony.
“She will be due back in the next few weeks. She’s a super mare who definitely wasn’t at her best last year, so hopefully she will be a better mare this season. She’s grown over the summer and strengthened, so we will see.”
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Jade De Grugy bounced back from a first career defeat at the Cheltenham Festival to claim an appropriate success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The five-year-old was beaten four lengths into fourth place when well fancied for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in the Cotswolds two and a half weeks ago and lined up back on home soil as one of 10 runners for Willie Mullins in this Grade One contest.
Carrying the Kenny Alexander colours of the great Honeysuckle, Jade De Grugy was a 7-4 favourite for the two-and-a-half-mile affair in the hands of Paul Townend.
For a moment turning for home she looked in a spot of trouble, with Townend having to get lower in the saddle, and it looked like her stablemate Spindleberry might claim top honours after she mastered Jessica Harrington’s Jetara after the second flight from home.
But to her credit, Jade De Grugy found plenty for pressure under a well-judged Townend ride and produced a big leap at the final obstacle when she needed it before pulling two and a quarter lengths clear on the run-in.
Mullins said: “That was a huge performance coming back from Cheltenham, she was very tough.
“Paul didn’t think he was going well a lot of the way, but it just shows what sort of engine she has.
Jade De Grugy with connections at Fairyhouse (Gary Carson/PA)
“It’s tough luck on Spindleberry. I thought she had it won at the last, but as we saw yesterday so many races were lost between the last hurdle and the line.
“The extra half-mile was definitely a help to her (Jade De Grugy) and she does look like a two-and-a-half-mile mare.
“I’d imagine we’ll look at Punchestown with her now.”
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The Kenny Alexander camp has expressed their pride after star mares Kargese and Telmesomethinggirl went close to getting on the scoresheet at the Cheltenham Festival.
Spring Juvenile winner Kargese was part of a strong team of juveniles Willie Mullins saddled for the Triumph Hurdle and despite racing keenly in the hands of Danny Mullins, shaped the most likely winner jumping the final obstacle before being reeled in by the hugely talented Majborough in the closing stages.
It is the second year in a row Alexander has had to settle for a silver medal in the juvenile Grade One following Gala Marceau’s second to Lossiemouth in 2023.
Kargese (left) had to settle for second behind Majborough in the Triumph Hurdle (Adam Davy/PA)
However, Kargese could now continue to chart the same path her stablemate took 12 months ago, with both Punchestown’s feature juvenile attraction and Auteuil’s Prix Alain du Breil in the equation for later in the campaign.
“Kargese’s run I was watching and thought ‘we’ve got this, she’s going to run away’ and I have to admit I was gutted for the first hour or so after the race,” said the owners racing manager, Peter Molony.
“Looking back now, we have to be very proud of the run. She pulled her head off and fought for her head the whole way round and I think ultimately, that may have cost her. I know the winner looks seriously good but I think she would have given him a proper race if she settled a bit better maybe.
“We’re hugely proud of her. She is most likely to go to Punchestown and Auteuil for the French Triumph will also have to be under consideration – we were lucky to win that with Gala Marceau last year.”
Telmesomethinggirl is a Cheltenham specialist (Tim Goode/PA)
Alexander has enjoyed many special moments at the Cheltenham Festival – mainly down to the exploits of dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle, who bowed out after her fourth straight victory in the Cotswolds in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle.
The owner came close to keeping his hands on the Mares’ Hurdle trophy after the fine effort of previous Festival heroine Telmesomethinggirl, as she just failed in her challenge of taking on Lossiemouth in the day one contest.
“We were so happy with Telmesomethinggirl,” continued Molony.
“We thought after her last run at Naas there was still a huge amount of improvement in her and Henry was very bullish she was going to give them something to think about, including Lossiemouth.
Telmesomethinggirl (red cap) bumped into Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle (Mike Egerton/PA)
“The difference in her physical appearance between Naas and Cheltenham shows you how good Henry is at tuning them up for the big day and she was trained right to the minute, she looked magnificent.
“I think the ground was a little bit against her and she would have preferred good ground, although I’m not sure she would have beaten Lossiemouth on any ground – she’s a monster. But we were very proud of Telmesomethinggirl’s run.”
Now nine, the Henry de Bromhead-trained mare already has the next stage of her career mapped out for her, with a date with Blue Bresil already pencilled in.
However, she could get one more chance to showcase her talent on the racecourse having raised her game once again when visiting Prestbury Park.
Rachael Blackmore and Telmesomethinggirl on the gallops at Cheltenham (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)
Molony added: “She’s nine and is booked in to Blue Bresil and will hopefully be covered at some stage. Hopefully if she comes into season and everything is right, maybe in the next six weeks and we will try and maybe get one more run into her, maybe Aintree or Punchestown.
“However, I do think she is a 10lb better mare at Cheltenham, she just seems to love the place.”
One member of the Alexander string who slightly under performed last week was Jade De Grugy, who was sent off the 2-1 second favourite for a red-hot Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
A winner in France before transferring to Closutton, the Mullins-trained five-year-old impressed in her first two starts in Ireland, but was unsuited by the muddling pace in the Cheltenham Grade Two and, having had her momentum checked at a crucial moment could only finish fourth as the sprint for home unfolded.
Jade De Grugy could now be given a chance to make amends in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle on March 31 – a race the great Honeysuckle won herself in 2019.
“Of the horses that were placed, I think she was the biggest disappointment for us,” said Molony.
“They just crawled and it turned into a sprint and she got a bit scrummaged at the wrong time as they were quickening, so we were a little bit disappointed to be honest.
“We know she is going to be a very good mare and we’re going to have a lot of fun with her if please God she stays in one piece.
“Willie will have a look and see what he thinks and how she has come out of the race. There was talk before the race that if she came out of it well enough she could go for the Honeysuckle in Fairyhouse. That is a very quick turnaround, but we will see.”
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Jade De Grugy added to a successful Saturday afternoon for Willie Mullins as she led home a one-two for the trainer in the SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The Closutton maestro enjoyed a sterling few hours in Britain, with Capodanno landing the Cotswold Chase and Lossiemouth making an impressive seasonal bow in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham, while at Doncaster Ashroe Diamond ran out an comfortable Grade Two winner.
Jade De Grugy highlighted Mullins’ strength in the mares’ division as she obliged as an 8-13 favourite in this Grade Three affair.
One of four for the trainer in a seven-runner field, Jade De Grugy won a French bumper before joining Mullins and made an impressive start for the team when registering a 15-length maiden hurdle win at Leopardstown last month.
Stepping up in class, she showed a fine change of gear for Brian Hayes to coast home a six-and-a-half-length winner from A Penny A Hundred, with the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham a possible target.
Assistant trainer David Casey said: “She was very impressive. She did things right all the way, she jumps brilliant. She travelled and quickened up in the straight. Brian was very happy with her.
“She’s a very sensible mare and always did everything right, we’re delighted with her.
“She has the race at Cheltenham and the Grade One back here obviously. There is a short gap between them but I’d imagine they will be the two targets.
“She was very good in Leopardstown and obviously very good again today.”
Western Diego (11-8 favourite) was also a winner for Mullins and Hayes in the SBK Maiden Hurdle while Argento Boy (evens favourite) made it a hat-trick on the card for the handler in the SBK (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race, with Jody Townend aboard.
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Jade De Grugy could put her Cheltenham Festival aspirations to the test at Fairyhouse later this month following an impressive debut for Willie Mullins at Leopardstown.
The five-year-old was snapped up for €230,000 after winning at Saint-Brieuc in late 2022, and after a 452-day absence finally made her first start for her Closutton training team and new owner Kenny Alexander over the festive period.
Sent off the 5-4 favourite in the hands of Paul Townend for a two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle, Jade De Grugy delivered a blistering display, making light work of her rivals to romp home by 15 lengths.
She is now poised for a step up in class for her next start, with Fairyhouse’s SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle on January 27 seen as one possible spot where Jade De Grugy can tune-up for a shot at the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in the spring.
“She was very impressive,” said Alexander’s racing manager Peter Molony.
“We are not sure what she beat, but what she did was very good and Paul was very impressed with her – we are quite excited about her.
Jade De Grugy impressed at Leopardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)
“Every option will be open, but something like the Solerina at the end of the month might be something for her.
“If she progresses in the right direction you would be dreaming of the Mares’ Novices’ at Cheltenham. It’s what we’re thinking of at the moment and hoping for.”
Mullins also unleashed another exciting prospect in the colours of Alexander during Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival with French import Kargese finishing second in the Grade Two Mercedes-Benz South Dublin Juvenile Hurdle.
Kargese (left) had only Kala Conti ahead of her on debut for Willie Mullins (Niall Carson/PA)
It was the same position Gala Marceau filled in the race on stable bow 12 months ago and Kargese will seek to repeat Gala Marceau’s Grade One winning exploits in her next start at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Molony added: “We were happy with her, she just didn’t settle great on the day. Considering that, she ran very well and the winner had had two runs already so again we’re quite excited about her.
“Hopefully all going well she goes to the Dublin Racing Festival and if things progress well, we will dream of a go at the Triumph Hurdle.”
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