14th-Jun-2016

Jennies Jewel is just a seriously improved mare who will love today’s ground and who, although nine years old, could still be ahead of the handicapper on the flat.

Jarlath Fahey’s mare has had a remarkable 2016 so far over hurdles.  She finished second to subsequent Coral Cup winner Diamond King at Punchestown in January, then finished second to subsequent Mares’ Hurdle winner Vroum Vroum Mag at Ascot two weeks later.  After winning at Thurles, she rounded off the season by finishing second in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.

She improved 17lb over hurdles since the start of the calendar year, and she showed that she could translate that ability to the flat when she ran out an impressive winner of a two-mile handicap at The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend of a mark of 83.

The handicapper raised her 10lb for that win, but she won with lots in hand, and she still has scope to go higher, judged on her rate of improvement over hurdles this year.  Also, she is in-foal now, and in-foal mares can improve fairly significantly.  And she has raced just five times on the flat, she still has scope to go higher on the level.

We know that she stays well, she stays three miles over hurdles, so two and a half miles on soft ground on the flat should hold no fears. Also, the fact that she ran such a big race on her only run at Ascot, albeit over hurdles, is no liability to carry into the race.  This is a really good race for National Hunt horses, which is not really that surprising, given the gruelling nature of it.

JENNIES JEWEL WON (ADV 7/1, SP 6/1)