18th-Mar-2021

Mount Ida is favourite for the Kim Muir, but she is 6/1 favourite, and it is worth backing her at that.

Denise Foster’s mare was a talented novice hurdler last season, she was impressive in winning her maiden hurdle at Galway, and she got to within three parts of a length of Minella Melody in a listed mares’ novices’ hurdle at Punchestown.

She has kept good company too this season as a novice chaser.  Third behind Yukon Lil and Scarlet And Dove in a mares’ novices’ chase at Cork on her chasing bow, she exacted her revenge on Scarlet And Dove in winning a Grade 3 contest on Hilly Way Chase back at Cork in December.

Scarlet And Dove has enhanced that form since.  Joseph O’Brien’s mare has won three of her four races since, including the Grade 3 Flyingbolt Chase against the geldings earlier this month, and she was giving Colreevy a race at Thurles when she came down at the second last fence.

Mount Ida finished second in that Thurles race, 12 lengths behind the high-class Colreevy.

The handicapper has given Mount Ida a rating of 142, and that is fair.  She has Jack Kennedy for company, and the Cullentra horses are running well all week.

MOUNT IDA WON (ADV 6/1, SP 3/1)