Star mares square up in Champion Hurdle
STAR mares Epatante and Honeysuckle are among a final field of 10 horses declared for the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham tomorrow.
Nicky Henderson’s Epatante is the defending champion, having provided her trainer with a record eighth victory last year.
However, the JP McManusowned seven-year-old will return to the Cotswolds on a recovery mission after suffering a shock defeat in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Contrastingly, the Henry de
Bromhead-trained Honeysuckle will put her unbeaten record on the line under Rachael Blackmore, who is bidding to become the first female rider to claim Champion Hurdle glory.
Honeysuckle produced what is widely regarded as the best performance of her career to date when powering clear in last month’s Irish Champion Hurdle and is the marginal favourite to follow up at Cheltenham, where she won the Mares’ Hurdle last season.
Speaking on Racing TV’s Luck on Sunday programme, Honeysuckle’s owner Kenny Alexander said: “I’m very excited and really looking forward to it – and pretty confident.
“I’m lucky to have a horse as good as that [Honeysuckle] who is going into the Champion Hurdle as favourite. If you can’t enjoy this sort of occasion, you shouldn’t own horses, I don’t think.!
De Bromhead has a second string to his bow in Aspire Tower, while Willie Mullins runs last year’s runner-up Sharjah, as well as Saldier and intriguing French recruit James Du Berlais.
Denise Foster’s Abacadabras completes the Irish challenge.
The home team is headed by Gary Moore’s stable star Goshen, who agonisingly exited at the final flight when set for a wide-margin win in the Triumph Hurdle last year.
Epatante’s Christmas Hurdle conqueror Silver Streak (Evan Williams) and Not So Sleepy (Hughie Morrison) are the other hopefuls.
ANDY Williams came off the bench to condemn Exeter City to a last-gasp defeat as he headed home in stoppage time to give Cheltenham Town all three points.
After a first half that saw both sides cancel each other out and fail to threaten the target, it took until 84 minutes before either side had a shot on target.
Jake Taylor had a great chance, blazing over on the half-volley from ten yards, before Robbie Willmott fired straight at Josh Griffiths when clean through on goal.
Jokull Andresson looked to have ensured that City kept a fourth clean sheet in a row when he brilliantly tipped over a late Alfie May effort.
But in stoppage time, Williams headed home a Ben Tozer late throw, his flick-on going in off the bar.
City remain in eighth place in the League Two table, although with games in hand on those above them, while the Robins stay top of the table after their fifth win in six games.
Following the 2-0 win at Scunthorpe United on Tuesday night, Matt Taylor made two changes to the Exeter City side, bringing in Jake Caprice and Jack Sparkes for Willmott and Lewis Page, lining up with three at back, including Josh Key in an unfamiliar centre-half role, with Joel Randall upfront with Ryan Bowman. Despite being available after suspension, Tom Parkes was not in the squad.
For the Robins, Michael Duff made three changes to the side who were beaten 3-1 at Mansfield Town on Tuesday, which followed four wins in a row. Lewis Freestone, Finn Azaz and George Lloyd came in, with top-scorer May dropping to the bench with Callum Wright, while Charlie Raglan was out with an injury.
At a freezing St James Park, it was a very scrappy opening to the game, but the visitors had the first chance. Having caused chaos with his long throws in the reverse fixture, skipper Tozer launched another missile into the box, which Sam Smith flicked on, but Azaz at the back post sliced the volley over.
Rory McArdle nearly turned a cross from former City man Liam Sercombe into his own net, and from the resulting corner, Freestone headed over from 10 yards.
But City had the best chance of an evenly matched first half, their first of the game, in the 42nd minute when Bowman, having been found by a slide-rule Sparkes ball, outmuscled a defender, but saw Tozer block his effort from the angle of the box.
City had the first chance of the second half. Key’s long ball was taken down well by Bowman, he twisted past one defender, but he couldn’t beat a second and his shot went behind.
City gradually were growing into the game and after a Sparkes corner was only partially cleared, skipper Jake Taylor lashed a volley back on goal, but it flew high over the bar, with Sercombe at the other end seeing a shot blocked after he pounced on a Randall error.
Willmott replaced Caprice on 64 minutes as Taylor switched back to a 4-4-2 formation, and five minutes later, City had the best chance of the game. After Willmott won the ball high up the pitch, Archie Collins clipped the ball over the top to Jake Taylor, but on the half-volley, the skipper blazed over from 10 yards
City continued to create the best of the chances but Willmott’s effort from the angle was weak and comfortably saved by Griffiths, while Bowman couldn’t divert a Willmott cross towards goal.
And the substitute should have given City the lead in the 84th minute. Alex Hartridge’s long ball found Willmott in space, but one-on-one with Griffiths, he fired straight at the goalkeeper.
Cheltenham went straight up the other end and nearly capitalised, as May cut in from the right and curled a beautiful effort towards goal, whch Jokull Andresson tipped it over.
Williams was brought on late by Duff to grab a winner, and just as he did in December’s reverse fixture, and in last season’s play-off final, he scored from a long throw. Tozer’s missile was flicked on by the substitute and it went in off the bar.
The result leaves City three points outside the play-offs, who have a rare week off before the trip to Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.
CORNISH Pirates made it two wins from two games at Richmond on Saturday, at the end of a week that saw them enjoy national headlines following their opening-day defeat of Saracens.
The Pirates cruised ahead and never really looked in danger at the Athletic Ground as they bagged a 27-7 bonus point win. The victory leaves them second in the IPA Greene King Championship table with nine points, a point adrfit of Ealing Trailfinders.
Joint head coach Gavin Cattle said: “The wind made it difficult for both teams and Richmond can be very unpredictable, but we were very professional and found our way into the game.
“We didn’t have it all our way. We were perhaps just a little lethargic at times but, overall, the lads stuck at it and defended pretty well, and to get the win with a bonus point is very pleasing.”
In the absence of John Stevens, who picked up a nose injury against Sarries, Antonio Kiri Kiri came into the starting XV.
The Pirates twice went close to scoring early on, first through centre Shae Tucker and then wing Robin Wedlake.
A brief breakout by Richmond saw debutant full back Will Kaye, formerly of Loughborough Students and Leicester Tigers, offer a threat, as did wing Max Trimble, but when the Pirates worked their way back up field a stong midfield run from industrious flanker Josh Caulfield forced the home side to give a penalty away. Skipper Tom Duncan wasted no time in calling on-loan fly-half Luke Scully forward to attempt a kick at goal, and into the difficult wind the first points of the afternoon were registered.
Jean-Baptist Bruzulier scored Pirates’ first try, and, showing dominance at the breakdown, the Pirates managed to hold on to their 8-0 lead until the break.
Dan Frost was shown a yellow card early on in the second half but the home side were unable to take advantage while Pirates were a man down. In fact, a clever tap-pass from centre Rory Parata reached full-back Maliq Holden who scored an unconverted try in the right corner.
Tom Duncan was having a big game for the Pirates, and he scored his team’s third try following good play from Kiri Kiri. Scully added the conversion.
Replacement Matt Bolwell scored the bonus-point try after some more good work from Kiri Kiri, with another replacement, fly-half Harry Bazalgette, converting for the final points of the afternoon.
Pirates are at home against Bedford Blues this Saturday, KO 12.30pm.