Honeysuckle may have right Constitution
The wraps are coming off the stars of the National Hunt game as the season begins to take off.
The next few weekends will see many class acts begin their campaigns, with Cheltenham the final destination for the majority.
The 20-time champion jockey, Sir AP McCoy, reckons following last March’s Supreme Novices Hurdle form will be among the highlights.
Constitution Hill, a stunning 22-length winner of the Festival’s curtain-raiser, is due to return in a fortnight in the Ascot Coral Hurdle.
Nicky Henderson’s prospect sits atop the Champion Hurdle market at a best price of 11/8.
Honeysuckle, a two-time winner, has been reduced to second favourite in the antepost lists at 4/1.
However, McCoy isn’t sure Henry de Bromhead’s marvellous mare should be so big for the most-eagerly anticipated clash of the 2022/23 season.
Much was made of Constitution Hill’s blistering Cheltenham time – six seconds faster than Honeysuckle’s Champion Hurdle.
McCoy cautions that the way the two-mile races were run makes focusing on that comparison a touch misleading.
“It’s far from a given, for me, that Constitution Hill beats Honeysuckle,” said McCoy.
“Constitution Hill is a very good horse, don’t get me wrong. But the time element?
“It’s all very well saying that he ran faster than her. When you’re riding a mare like Honeysuckle, who is ridden third or fourth each time, straightforward, you don’t jump out to make all or anything.
“So she was never going to be able to do a faster time than Constitution Hill, when you consider the way the Champion Hurdle was run.
“But if she’d ran in the Supreme Novices, she very easily could have tagged along.”
Unbeaten Honeysuckle, owned by Kenny Alexander, will start off at Fairyhouse on December 4.
Trainer Henry de Bromhead has promised she’ll then follow the familiar route to Cheltenham via the Irish Champion Hurdle.
McCoy added: “Honeysuckle has won 16 out of
16. She’s beaten everything in her way. If there’s a match-up with Constitution Hill (inset), it will be fascinating.
“She’ll be going for a third Champion Hurdle, which takes some doing because she’ll be up against horses who are fresher and younger.”
Supreme Novices’ runner-up, Jonbon – booked to go over fences in the Henry VII Chase at Sandown next month – remains a thrilling long-term prospect over the larger obstacles.
“I know he got well beaten by Constitution Hill, but the races will have made him tougher,” said McCoy. “I actually think Jonbon will make a very good chaser. He’s such a good jumper, a huge horse who’s only going to get a lot stronger.
“He’ll probably start off going two-mile chasing. But I know Nicky Henderson thinks he is more of a future Gold Cup horse.”