Allegorie De Vassy’s odds for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham were trimmed following a cosy success at Naas on Saturday.
Willie Mullins’ charge was on something of a redemption mission in the BBA Ireland Limited Opera Hat Mares Chase after an odds-on reverse at the hands of the reopposing Riviere D’Etel on New Year’s Day.
The latter came home 33 lengths clear on that occasion, but Allegorie De Vassy righted the record in this Listed heat.
Sent off a 5-2 chance in the hands of Paul Townend, Allegorie De Vassy survived some sticky early leaps and was travelling notably better than 7-4 favourite Riviere D’Etel approaching the final couple of obstacles.
She fairly skipped over the final fence to coast home by four lengths and Paddy Power make her a 7-2 chance from 5s for the the Festival contest in which she finished second last year.
Mullins said: “That was a better performance, especially considering how badly she jumped over the first four fences.
“She just wasn’t herself and it took her until about the fourth last before she really started to jump and then she got into a rhythm and flew.
“We might have been lucky that the two in front took each other on. It might not have been as flashy as we thought it was.
“I’m happy enough with how she’s run, and she’ll go for the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham.”