EPA’S STRAIGHT TALK

EPATANTE will head straight to Cheltenham for the Champion Hurdle on 10 March.

The Nicky Hendersontrained mare leapt to the front of the market for the Unibet-sponsored feature with an impressive victory in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.

She is now as short as 11-4 favourite for the race and, while the Seven Barrows trainer will give Champion Hurdle hopes Call Me Lord and Fusil Raffles their Festival tune-ups in the Contenders

Hurdle (Sandown, 1 February) and Kingwell Hurdle (Wincanton,

15 February) respectively, Epatante (above) will use racecourse gallops as a preparation for the big day. “I’m not planning on running her again before Cheltenham,” said Henderson, whose Pentland Hills contests The New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock today.

“I’ve got to think she will

have an away-day at Kempton, and she might go to Newbury.

“She’s not a big mare. She’s got speed and she’s slick, and she wouldn’t be suited by running around in a bog.

“She’s just coming off a break and she’s very fresh and very well.”

JP McManus’s

(right) French native suffered her only defeat over obstacles when favourite in the Dawn Run Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last March,

But Henderson added: “She trains up and down hills in Lambourn, so I don’t see the track as a problem.” Meanwhile,

Vision Des Flos is set to tackle the Marsh Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles at Cheltenham after making it third time lucky over fences with a 1-4 win at Chepstow yesterday.

After watching the seven-year-old beat sole rival Royale Pagaille by nine and a half lengths for the three-mile Poolman Patios And Landscaping Novices’ Chase, trainer Colin Tizzard said: “I think we will go back in trip now.

“He doesn’t help himself — he’s still tanking.

“That’s why he’s having a blow.”