HONEY TO DO TREBLE

Champion ‘Suckle the one they have to beat

HONEYSUCKLE will bid for a history-equalling third success in the baroneracing.com Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, one of three Grade 1 events on tomorrow’s superb card in Fairyhouse.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare is unbeaten in 12 starts, with a CV which includes two wins in the Irish Champion Hurdle and, of course, her scintillating success in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last March.

Tomorrow, on a track where she has won six times, Honeysuckle will attempt to become only the third horse to complete a hat-trick in the Hatton’s

Grace and a fourth to win it three times.

A wide-margin winner of this race in 2019, the mare was, almost certainly, below her best when seeing off Ronald Pump and Beacon Edge last year.

But her subsequent exploits were impressive, a ten lengths defeat of another of tomorrow’s rivals Abacadabras in the Irish Champion Hurdle before giving regular partner Rachael Blackmore (inset) a historic win in the Champion at Cheltenham, where she beat Sharjah by six and half lengths.

Honeysuckle was less convincing when outpointing Sharjah in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown, but got the job done.

The mare is rated a minimum of 7lb. superior to her rivals and, receiving her 7lb. mare’s allowance, she should be very tough to beat.

Gordon Elliott’s Abacadabras was well-beaten by the mare at Leopardstown last February, a faller, at the third flight, in the Champion at Cheltenham and a well-beaten fourth in the Punchestown race.

He blossomed when stepped-up to two and a half miles in the Betway Aintree Hurdle, beating English Cesarewitch winner and Stayers Hurdle candidate Buzz.

Abacadabras side-stepped the recent Morgiana and comes into calculations, along with last year’s runnerup Ronald Pump, second in the Stayers at Cheltenham in 2020.

But closest to Honeysuckle on ratings is Saldier, winner of the Galway Hurdle off 155 and conqueror of subsequent Lismullen Hurdle scorer Darasso in a Grade 3 in Tipperary last time.

The Elliott-trained Sire Du Berlais, second to Flooring Porter in the Stayer’s and to Darasso in the Lismullen might struggle here, over two and a half miles on good ground.

And Paul Nolan’s Latest Exhibition will be watched with interest on his return to hurdling after a novice chasing campaign last season.

BY PETER O’HEHIR