A PAMPERED CATEGORY

The expansion in the National Hunt arena of events staged exclusively for mares has resulted in the opportunity for some performers to sit cosily in a niche and reap rewards that otherwise would not have been attaintable.

Lady Buttons has almost reached celebrity status within racing's confines. She has become something of a winning machine in these mares only races. Whether it is deserved is another matter, for some would point out that the females already have a carrot dangled in front of them in open events in the form of the 7 lb allowance, which was increased from 5 lb for the 2003/04  campaign.

Ten of the fifteen races won by Lady Buttons have been open only to the ladies, of which all seven of her victories in listed or graded company have also come in these confined events.

In her stiffest task in open company over hurdles she did not disgrace herself when fourth of the five runners in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, not beaten a million miles. And probably the most difficult task she faced over fences was when she started second favourite for the Maghull Novices Chase, ending up far from disgraced to finish fourth, less than nine lengths behind the winner.

But in the creme de la creme of mares only hurdle events she had her limitations exposed when finishing only fourth, which would have been one further down if the sublime Benie Des Dieux had not come down at the last when having the race in the bag.

What cannot be emphasised enough is that as well as being one of the chief benefactors of these pigeonhole events, her connections are also fortunate that she is trained on the right side of the Irish Sea for some of the mares she would have been coming up against every couple of weeks in Ireland would have made her life hell.

Whatever, she has put her trainer on the map which resulted in some animals costing eyecatching amounts being placed in the yard. Admittedly they have since moved on but adding to the exploits of Lady Buttons, they have made the name Phil Kirby a more familiar one than it previously had been.

Mind you, I would guess there are many envious souls around when they look at the success enjoyed by this popular mare and her connections. What about all those talented animals who have not been favoured by a positive discrimination policy, and have no niche to home in on ?

This mare friendly policy is reminiscent of some of the mandatory courses public sector workers have to attend. There was one I heard from the grapevine fronted by a lady who opined that when she sees a room full of white, middle aged men, she is disgusted. Oh yes, she made it clear, such a sight is bland, outdated and disgusting.

If she had found employment within the BHA, I'm sure she would have championed the expansion of mares only contests, and would equally have expressed disgust at seeing a handicap chase field full of geldings in the seven to nine year old age range.

The expansion of veterans only events has not yet reached the same scale as the mares races.  Hopefully we will not see one introduced at the Cheltenham Festival, though on second thoughts as they have chipped away enough at the quality of the individual races, what would it matter to take a couple of runners out of the old Ritz Chase.

The BHA has not finished this project yet despite there being a record number of female horses in training in the National Hunt sphere.

A mares only chase planned to be introduced at the 2021 festival is undoubtedly part of the bridge to a five day meeting. A tiring five day meeting as opposed to the original all quality, pulsating three days.

While there is plenty of ammunition to oppose the justness of these confined events, particularly at the higher level, it would be unfair to spin the myth about Dawn Run missing the Champion Hurdle if the mares race had been in existence in 1984 .They will cite the fact that she was ideally suited by further than two mile, had indeed finished runner up in a vintage renewal of the Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle when far from the finished article, and that taking the easy route by making it fairly certain she would be Queen of her own domain, would have been too tempting to turn down.

What people forget though is that Dawn Run was right at the forefront of the Champion Hurdle reckoning after battling on to repel the challenge of the reigning champion Gaye Brief in the Christmas Hurdle. There was nothing in that Champion Hurdle field that would have frightened off connections

Which path those connected with Flakey Dove would have taken in the same circumstances is open to debate. She looked a fair place prospect in an open renewal of her Champion Hurdle, but on the evidence of her victory in the Cleeve, the extra distance of the mares only race would have been tailored for her.

Nevertheless, the crux of the matter is that no particular category of horse should have the fixture list tailored to increase their chances of success. Indeed, Lady Buttons got a taste of what those animals who are exluded from niche events have to put up with, when finishing a commendable but well beaten second to Moon Over Germany in that highly competitive two mile handicap at Aintree.  I doubt the race will be on her schedule again this year, same with the even more fiercely fought race in the same category at the Cheltenham Festival.

Lady Buttons is now ten years old. Perhaps she will be retired to the paddocks when this campaign closes.  Many would say she would have retired from action earlier without the help of a friendly programme of races.

But it's not quite so clear cut. Dubacilla raced as a ten year old mare finishing second to Master Oats in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, followed directly by another gallant performance to chase home Royal Athlete in the Grand National. Eyecatcher finished third in two successive Grand Nationals in the 1970's at ten and eleven years of age. And the popular Credo's Daughter, owned by James Bolam, raced on until ten years of age during the same decade.

Anyone trying to make comparisons with the increase of top level fillies and mares flat races in this country cannot logically equate the two scenarios. The flat racing world is a bigger, richer place,and action was taken to stem the flow of those crossing the Atlantic on a one way permanent journey to take advantage of the plethora of valuable fillies and mares races, mostly less competitive than the equivalents in Europe.

Those opposing the continued expansion of valuable mares only events in the National Hunt arena stand on solid ground and if Benie Des Dieux takes the easy option and bolts up looking like she'd have taken all the beating in the Stayers Hurdle, then this is an issue that deserves to be debated on a higher platform.

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