Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

WE’VE been here before not so long ago. A brilliant mare annihilates her rivals in the Irish Champion Hurdle and heads into the opening day Cheltenham showpiece at the very peak of her powers.

It didn’t end so well for Apple’s Jade in 2019 but two years later the outcome might be quite different with Honeysuckle now looking the one to beat following her stunning effort at Leopardstown last month.

Admittedly she might have been ideally placed throughout the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle but her 10-length rout of Abacadabras suggested that Honeysuckle has, quite simply, moved on to a different level this season.

Last year her gritty success over Darver Star in the Irish Champion Hurdle was followed by that enthralling success over Benie Des Dieux in the Mares’ Hurdle and there are a couple of points to take from those races.

Firstly, Darver Star did his bit to uphold the form with an excellent third in the Champion Hurdle itself, while a victory over Benie Des Dieux represents quite the achievement.

Now unbeaten in 10 starts on all types of ground from two to two and a half miles Honeysuckle is the benchmark for success in this year’s race and last month’s effort at Leopardstown was that of a singular talent. She gets a strong vote of confidence to extend her winning sequence.

Questions

By contrast, the other outstanding mare in the line-up, last year’s winner Epatante, has questions to answer. In a relatively brief but imperious campaign last year, she carried all before her in three starts which climaxed with a three-length victory over Sharjah in this race.

A smooth comeback success in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle signalled that an extended period of domination of the two-mile division could be about to kick off but Epatante then met with a shock defeat in the Christmas Hurdle and hasn’t been seen since.

Any horse is entitled to a below-par run and Epatante shouldn’t be judged on her effort last time. Even so, a six-and-a-half-length defeat at the hands of Silver Streak suggests that she is far from invincible and she might have to settle for a minor placing in her bid for a repeat success.

Silver Streak himself is an honourable sort but it is hard to see him winning a Champion Hurdle at the third attempt. He was a well-held third here in 2019 and was beaten by a similar distance into sixth last year, and he will probably need a number of rivals to underperform if he is to be closely involved.

Then there is the curious case of Goshen who resurrected himself in spectacular style at Wincanton lately to surge back into the reckoning for this race. Up the point of his departure his amazing effort in last season’s Triumph Hurdle suggested that this was a Champion Hurdle winner in waiting.

There followed a couple of disappointing flat runs in the autumn though and an abject effort at Cheltenham in December before the Kingwell Hurdle in Wincanton revived his flagging hopes of making an impact at the top level over hurdles. He warrants due consideration but there is a lingering suspicion that the Wincanton race fell apart.

Then we come to an interesting contingent of Irish horses. Sharjah ran a tremendous race in this last year to take second and there is no reason why he can’t run just as well this year. He was his usual brilliant best at Christmas before failing to produce his best at the Dublin Racing Festival but there is nothing unusual in that and he is respected.

Abacadabras was one of several Christmas disappointments for his trainer and there were encouraging signs last time out when he chased home Honeysuckle. He has been to Cheltenham twice and run well twice and one gets the impression a competitive Champion Hurdle with a field that offers both plenty of cover and the chance of a decent pace will bring out the best in him.

A victory for a five-year-old in this race doesn’t seem as improbable as it once was and Aspire Tower is not one to dismiss. He has already beaten Abacadabras this season and he ran very well behind Sharjah at Christmas after which he was kept under wraps for this. He is a likeable type with more to give.

SELECTIONS:

1. Honeysuckle

2. Abacadabras

3. Epatante