Willie Mullins enters ‘super’ unexposed dark horse as part of five-strong squad for Cheltenham Festival race

WILLIE MULLINS will field a five-star line-up in his bid for a third Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

His attack will be fronted by 5-2 ante-post favourite Dinoblue, who was an agonising second 12 months ago.

PA

Dinoblue, the current favourite for the Mares’ Chase[/caption]

She warmed up for the race with a game win over Allegorie De Vassy, who will also be part of Mullins squad.

She was only fourth last year, but the 7-1 shot was second in 2023 and is a danger to all if on her a-game.

Mullins said: “Dinoblue and Allegorie De Vassy went a great gallop the last day and there was no hiding place, despite there only being the two of them involved.

“I imagine they will reoppose at Cheltenham. I’m very happy with both of them and they will meet off levels at Cheltenham. It will be interesting.”

The unexposed one is Spindleberry, whose jumping was hit and miss on chase debut at Thurles.

This would be a huge step up in grade for the lightly raced eight-year-old, but there could be any amount of improvement from the 16-1 poke.

After her win, jockey Paul Townend said: “Spindleberry was really brave for me at the last – she jumped super.

“She took a blow and will come on for it, and she’ll go on a touch slower ground. I thought it was a good performance.”

His final two entries are Judicieuse Allen (33-1) and Hauturiere (100-1), who both need a big step up on what they’ve achieved over fences.

The five-some won’t have an easy time of it, however, with the well fancied Bioluminescence looking to have standout claims.

She jumped beautifully to make a winning chasing debut and built on that when second to Grade 1 winner Dancing City.

That form stands out, especially as it was against the boys, and she’s currently at 3-1.

Gavin Cromwell has another pair of excellent chances in the race, including last year’s winner Limerick Lace.

She has been nowhere near her best this season, including a heavy defeat behind Allegorie De Vassy, but this is likely to have been the plan all along.

Only By Night is the final of the big contenders, a Grade 2 winner this season who won snugly at Exeter last time.

FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.

---

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.