15:40 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Betting Odds & Tips: Cheltenham 2021 – 16th March 2021

The final Grade 1 feature of the opening day of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival is the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.

This is a 2m 4f trip around the Old Course and there are 10 hurdles for the runners to deal with.

There looks to be a good competitive field lining up in this year’s edition with CONCERTISTA holding the position as a market favourite.

Last year’s Close Brothers was won by the brilliant HONEYSUCKLE. She upset Benie Des Dieux with a brilliant run.

Who will shine from this year’s renewal which has 11 declared runners?

Close Brothers Mare’s Hurdle Betting Odds

Concertista 11/10
Roksana 11/4
Dame De Compagnie 11/2
Black Tears 12/1
Great White Shark 14/1
Minella Melody 22/1
Indefatigable 22/1
Floressa 33/1
My Sister Sarah 40/1
Dolcita 33/1
Whitehotchillifili 66/1
* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes)

Horse Racing Betting at Ladbrokes

Concertista the 11/10 FAV for Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle

There has been good support for CONCERTISTA ahead of the 2021 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.

She is the current 11/10 favourite* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes).

Concertista made it two wins from two this season with a score in a Leopardstown Grade 3 in December.

She easily had the better of Minella Melody in that contest, who opposes her again in this contest.

Concertista cruised to a 12 length win in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival

She has since improved even further.

She’s rapidly on the up with those recent graded successes and she has a big chance of getting in the frame for trainer Willie Mullins.

Roksana to overcome the favourite?

There will probably be a solid run from ROKSANA, the 2019 winner of the Close Brothers.

Around the 3m mile mark this season she has looked good.

She is a quote of 11/4 in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle betting odds* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes).

The latest run that she has seen her take a win in the Group 2 mare’s Hurdle at Ascot over 2m 7f in January.

She crushed Magic Of Light by eight lengths in that contest.

That added to a win at Wetherby that Roksana had taken on her reappearance.

There was a fourth-place finish for Roksana in last year’s Close Brothers as she missed out on defending her title.

If she can keep up this form dropping back down in trip, then Roksana can pose some big questions to the favourite.

Indefatigable good enough to spring a surprise?

At the back end of last season, INDEFATIGABLE was in hot form. She won over the hurdles at last year’s Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival.

She has had two goes over the hurdles this winter and hasn’t rediscovered that form just yet. But she now returns having had a wind op.

Undefeatable is a reliable sort around Cheltenham. Also, she is only 4lb down in the ratings from the favourite.

Indefatigable has won two of four runs at Cheltenham, two of three at course and distance.

So she certainly has some strong claims here.

It’s going to be all about her tapping into what she does best at Prestbury Park.

Indefatigable may be slightly underrated at 22/1 e/w in the market* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes).

 

 

Can Minella Melody find a way to beat Concertista?

MINELLA MELODY must be sick of the sight of Concertista at the moment having lost to that rival in the last two.

It has been three straight second-place finishes for Minella Melody this winter. Henry de Bromhead’s mare has all the quality to produce a strong show.

But is there enough in her to overturn that gap in quality to Concertista? That’s a little hard to see based on the last two meetings.

Minella Melody was beaten by 7 lengths in their most recent meeting at Leopardstown over 2m 4f in December.

That’s a huge turnaround needed and Minella Melody is a 22/1 shot* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes).

Dame De compagnie open to further hurdles improvement

One to be respected in this field is Nicky Henderson’s DAME DE COMPAGNIE.

She is at 11/2 in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle betting market* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes).

At last year’s Cheltenham Festival, Dame De Campagnie secured the win in the Coral Cup, rounding off a fine finish for the season.

She opened the new season on a chasing debut at Ayr and had the beating of Cornerstone Lad in that.

It was an eye-catching run. She went to a Sandown Grade 2 to follow up.

But the eight-year-old unseated her rider in that one. But on the switch back to the timber there is surely a lot more to come from her now.

Dame De Compagnie could be a big player in this contest.

Rest Of The Runners

BLACK TEARS scored in a Grade 3 Punchestown effort a couple of weeks ago and didn’t even need to find top gear in a facile contest. She makes a yard debut in a much tougher contest.

DOLCITA was second in last year’s Mares’ Novices’ at the Festival to Concertista on her final run from Willie Mullins. She looks a long way short of what is needed of her.

FLORESSA opened the season with a win at Newbury and then has put in a couple of decent Graded efforts since them. This is her first attempt at more than 2 miles.

GREAT WHITE SHARK will need a bounce-back after a disappointing seventh palace finish in a Grade 2 hurdle last time out. She was third in the Martin Pipe twelve months ago.

MY SISTER SARAH won her penultimate run which was a Listed event at Limerick. She was well behind Concertista and Minella Melody at Leopardstown to follow up. She returns from a wind op with a lot to find.

WHITEHOTCHILLIFILI is a big outsider here and she looks well short of the quality needed to come against most of this field. Was very poor at Warwick on her latest run.

Predictions & Tips for Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Betting Odds

This could be a wider contest than the betting market suggests. There are a couple of dangerous outsiders we can see.

Those are both INDEFATIGABLE and MINELLA MELODY from the 22/1 e/w mark* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes).

The former takes preference for us.

We are going with DAME DE COMPAGNIE as our racing tip for the Close Brothers 2021 in Cheltenham Festival betting.

The 11/2 odds represents a bit of value in the field for a quality horse* (betting odds recorded at 19:59 GMT on March 15th, 2021 at Ladbrokes).

After knocking around the chasing sphere, she now has the potential to make a huge impact back over the hurdles.

So we are rolling with the former course and distance winner.

The other for the shortlist has to be CONCERTISTA who should be well in the mix.

She won easily at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and has hit some cracking form this year as well.

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