NO HONEY,NO BOTHER FOR EP

Henderson star primed to wear mare’s crown in champion’s absence

WITH no Honeysuckle standing in her way, Epatante is difficult to oppose in the Grade 1 Coolmore Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle, twin-feature on the final day of the Punchestown Festival.

Trained by Nicky Henderson for JP Mcmanus, the eight-year-old has already notched six Grade 1 wins and, having swerved a rematch with the mighty Honeysuckle yesterday, Aidan Coleman’s mount looks rock solid today.

This mare’s finest hour came at Cheltenham in March 2020 when landing the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the expense of Sharjah.

And her second to Honeysuckle in this year’s renewal must not be underestimated as she was chasing the champion hard when landing awkwardly and losing momentum at the final flight before being beaten three and a half lengths.

Epatante had already dead-heated for the Fighting Fifth in Newcastle and landed Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle this season before bidding to regain her champion crown at Cheltenham.

In the context of today’s test, she successfully stepped-up to two and a half miles for the first time in the

Betway Aintree Hurdle last time, beating Monmiral by 14 lengths following the last-flight exit of Gordon Elliott’s Zanahiyr when upsides the mare. And Zanahiyr had finished a length behind Epatante in the Champion at Cheltenham.

With a rating of 154 and regular partner Coleman again in the plate, Epatante sets a good standard in today’s race and should triumph again, en route to her summer holiday in Martinstown.

Officially rated 7lb inferior to

Epatante, her stable-companion Marie’s Rock (right) and the Willie Mullinstrained front-runner Stormy Ireland look the chief threats to the selection.

Marie’s Rock has been something of an enigma, but got her act together in style to take the Grade 1 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham, swooping on the run-in to foil the Irish contingent, Queens Brook, the unlucky Mrs Milner and Stormy Ireland – the latter pair will be in the field again today.

Winner of this race last year when slamming Minella Melody, and the Relkeel at Cheltenham in January. On her day Stormy Ireland is hard to pass and deserves plenty of respect around here.

Stormy Ireland is one of four runners from Closutton and will be joined by 2020 Triumph heroine Burning Victory, Dysart Diamond and the unexposed Shewearsitwell.

Winner of the Pertemps last year, Mrs Milner was badly hampered two from home in the Mares at Cheltenham but stayed on to be beaten only three and a half lengths by Marie’s Rock and a big run is expected from Paul Nolan’s charge here.

Henry de Bromhead relies on last year’s mares novice winner Telmesomethinggirl, in touch when brought down at the second last in Marie’s Rock’s race in Cheltenham.