Epatante price looks short for the Champion Hurdle

THE Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton has a rather chequered history as a guide to the Champion Hurdle, but bookies and punters would appear to think the latest winner Epatante is the real deal.

Having nibbled at her at 33/1 and 25/1 for Cheltenham in March – mentioned on these pages a few weeks ago – I am hoping they are right, but I would not be backing her at 3/1 now.

A clear-cut defeat of Silver Streak and Ballyandy was backed up by a decent time of 157, which is in effect 164 once the five-year-old’s sex allowance is taken into account. She did it well, too, showing her by-now trademark speed. But the runner-up (156 here) had been beaten a similar margin by Cornerstone Lad at Newcastle and Ballyandy (151 here) is just a decent handicapper on most form.

Epatante’s time was 3.0s quicker than Fred’s in winning the opening novice hurdle, and that gelding (138 in this, including sectionals) is a fair way off being one of the best in his division.

An even more meaningful time comparison at Kempton came the following day, when Global Citizen managed to run the two miles of the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase fully 4.4s quicker than Bun Doran did in winning the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase a short while later.

Sectionals do not get the runners in the latter off the hook this time, and the Desert Orchid looks suspect form, for all that Bun Doran (just 120 here) can be rated 157 on his other form.

They do, however, confirm the opposite for the novices: that is, that the race was well-run and that the time is probably good despite the first five finishing in a bit of a heap.

Global Citizen gets a healthy 152 rating, with Rouge Vif on 150, Grand Sancy on 148 and the penalised Al Dancer on 149.