Irish first for Rachael as Honeysuckle blossoms

RACHAEL BLACKMORE made history when becoming the first female jockey to win the Irish Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle and the duo are now joint favourites with some bookmakers to repeat the feat in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival next month.

Trainer Henry De Bromhead, who was winning his third Irish Champion Hurdle with the 8-11 favourite, has yet to commit Honeysuckle to the feature race on the opening day of the Festival on March 10 and the mare has the option of running in a race restricted to her own sex on the same day.

But that route looks unambitious and highly unlikely after Honeysuckle extended her unbeaten run to seven races with a half-length victory from Darver Star.

Honeysuckle’s winning margin could have been bigger but she threw away a two-length lead going to the last hurdle with a slow jump before digging deep to get back on top of Darver Star, with Petit Mouchoir third.