Snowden favouring Mares’ Novices’ contest for You Wear It Well

Sandown winner has multiple Cheltenham Festival options.

Jamie Snowden is leaning towards the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with his star six-year-old You Wear It Well.

The talented mare has won three of her four starts over obstacles this term, with her only defeat coming when a gallant second to the highly-regarded Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle favourite Hermes Allen in a red-hot running of the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.

She was shortened to a general 8-1 for the mares’ event on the back of a commanding victory in the Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown recently, but also holds entries for both the Ballymore and Albert Bartlett at the Festival and connections were unwilling to pin their colours to a particular mast in the immediate aftermath of victory in Esher.

However, she now appears destined to follow the same route as last year’s Festival hero Love Envoi, who triumphed in the Sandown Grade Two before following up at Prestbury Park.

“I would say we will probably go to the Mares’ Novices’,” said Snowden.

“It’s on the New Course, so there is more of a need for stamina on the New Course than the Old Course and I think it makes sense to keep her amongst her own sex.”

The Folly House handler went on to analyse the claims of his charge in respect of the challenge presented by Nicky Henderson’s Luccia – using Dan Skelton’s Sandown runner-up She’s A Saint as a vital reference point.

He added: “Luccia has obviously achieved a great deal by winning a couple of Listed races. We’ve obviously beaten She’s A Saint by further than Luccia did.

“So you could say she is probably bang up with the best hurdle form on this side of the Irish Sea and deserves to take her chance at Cheltenham.”

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