Relkeel target for Marie’s Rock

Repeat Cheltenham Festival win the big aim.

Marie’s Rock will wait until the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day before she gets the chance to extend her winning run.

Nicky Henderson’s mare won three on the bounce in the second half of last season, following up a Listed win at Warwick with Grade One successes at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals.

The seven-year-old has excelled since racing over distances around two and a half miles and although briefly tempted to step the daughter of Milan up to three miles in the early stages of this campaign, the master of Seven Barrows is content to bide his time for the perfect opportunity over a distance she enjoys.

He said: “She was very good as a novice, then went quiet and had a dreadful season the year before last and then she came back last year and finished up basically the champion mare, winning the Grade Ones at both Cheltenham and Punchestown.

“The problem with her at the moment is two and a half (miles) is what I’m pretty much sure is her trip and it is hard to see where she can go. In fact, the first race she can realistically run in is the Relkeel in January.

“I was just thinking about a little idea of whether we move her up to three miles, but I think it is probably the wrong thing to do first time out – she can be a bit fresh.

“I don’t think she’s ready for three miles at the moment, so we’ll just have to sit still with her for the moment and wait for the Relkeel and build her up to Cheltenham as that’s the day we want her.”

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