The Close Brothers’ Mares’ Hurdle produced a compelling finish at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival as Wodhooh stepped into Grade One company with authority, holding off a determined challenge from Jade De Grugy to secure a memorable success.
Returning to the meeting where she had closed proceedings twelve months earlier with victory in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, the talented mare proved she belonged among the elite. Sent off the 5-6 favourite, Wodhooh showed admirable resilience in the final climb to the line, keeping Jade De Grugy at bay to score by a length in the prestigious Close Brothers’ Mares’ Hurdle.
Trainer Gordon Elliott was delighted to see his stable on the scoreboard at the Festival after a sequence of near-misses earlier in the week.
“I don’t think I was ever quite in the wilderness,” Elliott said. “It’s always hard to get winners here and we just weren’t bouncing earlier in the week, but we’re on the board now. The race worked out great and Jack gave her a peach of a ride.”
Wodhooh briefly appeared to idle approaching the final stages, but the mare responded willingly when asked for another effort.
“She idled a bit halfway up the straight but picked up again,” Elliott continued. “She’s something else. It’s hard to know just how good she is because she doesn’t do anything flashy at home, but we’re lucky to have her.”
The trainer suggested that a slightly longer distance could suit the improving mare even better.
“My own feeling is that she needs two and a half miles, but you never know. We’ll enjoy today. Ted Durcan sourced her for us and she’s been a fantastic addition.”
Looking ahead, Elliott indicated that options remain open following the Close Brothers’ Mares’ Hurdle triumph.
“She could go to Aintree — she went well there last year — and we’ve Ireland as well. We’ll see how she comes out of this.”
Winning rider Jack Kennedy expressed relief after a challenging start to the meeting.
“It’s been a frustrating couple of days,” Kennedy admitted. “But when you have a mare like her to look forward to, you’re hopeful or quietly confident that you might get one on the board.”
Kennedy had Wodhooh travelling comfortably for much of the contest, though the mare briefly hit a lull descending the hill.
“She just hit a bit of a flat spot coming down the hill, which she can do,” he said. “I might have asked her a little early but she’s so honest. Once she got going again I felt nothing was going to get by her in the straight.”
Runner-up Jade De Grugy also earned praise for a strong performance, with her connections taking pride in the mare’s effort.
Owner Kenny Alexander said: “She’s run a blinder and just got beat by a proper horse. We just hit the crossbar but she ran right up to her best. At one point I thought she might get up, but the winner found a bit more. She was a bit better than us on the day, but I’m very proud of her.”
The victory confirmed Wodhooh’s growing reputation and marked a significant step forward as she added a Grade One triumph to her rapidly developing record at the Cheltenham Festival.
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