Handicap 'blot' scores for Champion Hurdle winners

Connections of Aletrix made use of an 'unrevised' handicap mark when winning the opening Grade B Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown today, as the mare scored for yesterday's Champion Hurdle winners trainer Jessica Harrington and jockey Robbie Power.

Aletrix was officially 9lbs well-in having finished second in a Grade 3 mares hurdle at Fairyhouse last Saturday, and while jockey Robbie Power put up the minor matter of 2lbs overweight, the daughter of Flemensfirth readily scored a seven and a half lengths win.

Afterwards Harrington stated “the handicapper was right; she was in here and when I saw she got 125 for her next handicap

this was such a big pot and there is not a lot of her so the light weight helped. The bit of rain that fell last night helped also and she jumped like a buck, except at the last. She is learning and is not going near Cheltenham but will for a mares' hurdle at Limerick and then the mares' race at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.

“She has come a long way and she is a really good advert for those Tattersalls maiden hurdles as she was bought for E20,000 and that race gave her confidence.”

Power added "she ran very well at Fairyhouse. She was second in a Grade 3 mares' hurdle. She is due to go up to 125 so she was running of 118 with my 2lb overweight. She was entitled to do that with the rating that she is going up to.

"The ground is a good bit softer than yesterday. It's plenty soft today."

Big winners on day one, off the mark already on day two - Robbie Power and @Jessica_Racing combine with the impressive Alletrix in the @IrishEBF_ Paddy Mullins Mares' Handicap Hurdle: pic.twitter.com/vTgvQFIPUI

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 4, 2018

Quotes from Alan Magee