Fairyhouse Sunday feature: Runner-by-runner guide to the Mares’ Chase

There is intriguing graded action at Fairyhouse on Sunday in the shape of the John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase.

Provided thge meeting passes an 8am inspection, seven runners will go to post for the two miles and five furlongs event which is exclusively live on Racing TV at 2.50pm.

Recent winners include Une Artiste, for Nicky Henderson in 2014, while Willie Mullins has tasted success twice in the past decade with Vroum Vroum Mag in 2015 and Camelia De Cotte in 2019.

Here’s a runner-by-runner guide to this year’s contenders.

Rating out of 10: 10 Odds:

A leading player. Salsaretta won her first four starts over fences, which included graded success at Cork but fell at the first fence in a competitive handicap at Punchestown on her reappearance and has given plenty of time to get over that mishap. There’s no doubting her ability, reflected by her official rating of 148, and if her confidence has not been affected by that tumble then she should go very close.

Rating out of 10: --

Is now a non-runner.

Rating out of 10: 4 Odds:

Talented mare who has only finished out of the placings once in 19 career starts but she is not the easiest to win with and been absent since finishing second in the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown in February. Stamina is not an issue and she will also relish the testing conditions. However, her main market rivals Salsaretta and Shattered Love set a fair standard and she looks booked for a supporting role once again.

Rating out of 10: 8 Odds:

A real credit to connections, she boasts Munster National and Kerry victories since joining Willie Mullins. Her Kerry National victory was a particularly gutsy effort and saw her attain a career- high rating of 149. However, she was put well in her place by Shattered Love last time out and looks to have her work cut out to reverse the form.

Rating out of 10: 3.5 Odds:

A winner of two of her 12 starts over fences, she shaped well when third at Fairyhouse in November, having previously finished third in a Listed event over hurdles at Limerick. However, this contest demands more and she will need to produce a career best to play a leading role.

Rating out of 10: --

Is now a non-runner.

Rating out of 10: 3 Odds:

Produced a career-best when denied by a nose in the Kerry National by Cabaret Queen. However, she has struggled since and was pulled up at Limerick on her latest outing six days ago. A repeat of that Kerry National run would give her a chance but others make more appeal.

With Shattered Love a late absentee, the way looks clear for Salsaretta and her stablemate, Cabaret Queen to dominate. The former gets the nod.