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Cheltenham Antepost #1

 I have been looking at the Mares Hurdle for quite some time, trying to find an angle into it and I believe the one that is wildly overpriced is Heaven Help Us. I don't want to take the chance that she wins today and the price goes so I'm going to suggest backing her now. It would not be the end of the world if she doesn't win today as I think she is better at two and a half miles, while it is also harder to dominate from the front on the New Course.

I have been going through those at the head of the market for a while and there are plenty of question marks. At this juncture, I think it is fair to say that there is certainly no superstar in the field and Paul Hennessy's Coral Cup winner holds claims to match most at the very least. Her current price is an insult to her ability and her profile.

She is taking a similar rout to last year's winner Black Tears in that she also ran in the Coral Cup the previous year (and the year before that). Black Tears was second in the previous year's Coral Cup off a mark of 144 behind Mares Hurdle disappointment Dame De Compagnie (140). In comparison, Heaven Help Us was as impressive as any of the other winners all week, leading the field a merry dance to win by 9 lengths off a mark of 138.

Prior to Cheltenham, she won the hottest of handicaps at the Dublin Racing Festival, with Mares Novice Hurdle winner Telmesomethinggirl back in third, giving her 2lb admittedly (excluding jockey claim). 

Her Cheltenham form is better than her form anywhere else and if she does run well in the International today, she will be half the price she is now. She won her maiden hurdle here beating Master Debonair and Fred, solid if not spectacular form. It is easy to forget she ran in the Supreme won by Shishkin and performed with credit, despite eventually fading out of it. 

She was one of the many badly hampered in that contest, still seventh was very reasonable when you look at the horses down the field in that race. Edwardstone was sixth, while Fiddlerontheroof was well behind her. 

As mentioned, I wouldn't give up if she is beaten today, as I think the old course might suit her better and it is more difficult to make all on the New Course. They have also left off the cheekpieces again. 

If she does win, then she will be half the price she is now. One can ignore her reappearance effort as the cheekpieces that have brought about more improvement were left off and she made a bad mistake at a vital point. I wouldn't think Punchestown would be her ideal track either.

It is quite rare in current ante-post markets that one can find a progressive horse, with solid form claims for a race that is definitely their target available at double figure odds. She is huge value at 25/1. 


1pt win Heaven Help Us (Mares Hurdle, Cheltenham) - 25/1 General


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