Honeysuckle to go for mares’ race instead of Champion
De Bromhead believes longer trip will be ideal Epatante ‘very well’ after Henderson cough scare
Honeysuckle, Henry de Bromhead’s unbeaten mare, will contest the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle instead of the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next week.
On the day that the wheels were fully back on Epatante’s attempt to join Dawn Run, Flakey Dove and Annie Power – the only three mares to have won the Champion Hurdle – after she worked “very well”, according to trainer Nicky Henderson, De Bromhead opted for the race after the Champion on the basis that 2½ miles is more Honeysuckle’s trip.
The six-year-old, who is one of a strong team for the trainer and jockey Rachael Blackmore, won the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown last time, when she battled back after fluffing the last to beat Darver Star half a length. She could meet the Willie Mullins-trained Benie Des Dieux in the mares’ race, which would mean it is not necessarily much of a softer option.
“Honeysuckle was so impressive over 2½ miles and it is the mares’ championship race,” De Bromhead said. “We think that is the race to be in, rightly or wrongly, and there’s only one way to find that out.
“We have given it a lot of thought. I’d imagine we’ll confirm her for the Champion at the five-day stage, having got this far, and we may as well leave her in and keep the option open, but we’ve called it now and the mares’ race is the plan.”
He added: “There are various things to take into account, but it’s mainly that her most impressive performances have been over 2½. She still won an Irish Champion Hurdle but we just feel that it’s the mares’ championship race, so that’s the race to go for.”
De Bromhead also fields the favourites A Plus Tard in the Ryanair and Notebook in the Arkle.
It remains the plan to run A Plus Tard in the Ryanair and only if it became bottomless might he switch to the Champion Chase. In the Gold Cup, the Waterford trainer will be represented by Monalee, Blackmore’s ride, and Chris’s Dream. The Red Mills Chase winner is likely to be ridden by Aidan Coleman.
Henderson was delighted with Epatante, the Christmas Hurdle winner, who will spearhead his team of four or five runners in the Champion Hurdle. “She coughed for two days and stopped as soon as I made the announcement,” he said, recalling last week. “All I did was cause chaos.”