Champion Hurdle preview: Honeysuckle going through ‘greatest check’ with Cheltenham Competition defence as Recognize It leads rivals

Honeysuckle might go off the shortest value since Istabraq received the final of his three titles in 2000 when she defends her Unibet Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Aidan O’Brien’s legendary performer was 8/15 when finishing his big-race hat-trick. Honeysuckle is 8/13 with many bookmakers which is a shade shorter than Buveur D’Air, who was 4/6 when successful for a second time in 2018.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare is unbeaten in 14 begins beneath guidelines, together with her 10 Grade One victories together with three Irish Champion Hurdles and final 12 months’s success within the Cheltenham function.

“I suppose on scores it probably is her greatest check to this point, however it’s as you’d count on this race to be. It is actually aggressive and there is some nice horses in there – very similar to final 12 months,” stated De Bromhead.

“I have been advised that Honeysuckle might go off because the shortest-priced Champion Hurdle favorite this century, however I had no concept. It is most likely extra stress in that in fact you need her to win, however it’s like with any of them, you need them to run their greatest race.

“It will be unbelievable stuff if she might win once more – there’s not many that may win two Champion Hurdles, so it could be unimaginable. Her unbeaten run is superb however all we are able to do is get her there in addition to we probably can after which hope we’ve got a little bit of luck, and that all of it goes nicely.”

Epatante, winner in 2020, bids to emulate Hurricane Fly, in 2011 and 2013, by regaining her crown.

Nicky Henderson’s cost was third to Honeysuckle in each Cheltenham and Punchestown Champion Hurdles final spring however has accomplished nothing unsuitable in her two begins this winter, dead-heating for first place within the Combating Fifth and successful the Christmas Hurdle outright.

“We set off firstly of the season and JP (McManus, proprietor) stated we’ve got two aims this 12 months – the Combating Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle. That’s what we needed and we practically obtained it. We obtained one and a half which was nice,” stated Henderson.

“I believed at Kempton she was nice and she or he actually did seem like her previous self. She was hurdling like she all the time used to and tanked Nico (de Boinville, jockey) into the race. She would not usually go on that early however she was all for getting dwelling and getting again to mattress, and she or he was off.

“We have nonetheless obtained one massive downside in entrance of us (Honeysuckle). She has regarded superb and she or he shall be very laborious to beat, however I do suppose we’re at the least again the place we had been (with Epatante) when she received her Champion Hurdle. Which may not have been the strongest area on the planet and I am the primary to confess that.”

Recognize It has not run since taking the Supreme 12 months in the past however coach Willie Mullins feels the eight-year-old has a “massive probability”.

“He was going chasing, however then he obtained injured and we stated we could not break his novice this late within the season. It was a reasonably straightforward resolution to return hurdling after that,” stated the Closutton coach.

“Recognize It loves the monitor – he went nicely there final 12 months. I am comfortable he’ll go there with a giant probability.

“He is a powerful horse. I do know we’ve not had a run, however we have accomplished that earlier than.

“I might say we’ve got a superb report for doing that (working nicely first day out on the Competition), however I do not know whether or not we have accomplished it for the Champion Hurdle.

“It is all to play for I believe, however we’ve got a giant hurdle to leap (in Honeysuckle).”

Gordon Elliott is comfortable to run each Zanahiyr and Teahupoo regardless of having the utmost respect for Honeysuckle.

“I believe the monitor will go well with Zanahiyr and we’ll put cheekpieces on, not as a result of he is ungenuine however to assist him early within the race as a result of he is a bit behind the bridle,” he stated.

“Honeysuckle has been superior the final couple of years and there is most likely not an individual in racing that would not like to see her win. My horse is in good type, he has six and a half lengths to seek out from Leopardstown, however I believe the monitor will go well with him higher, Nonetheless, she seems to be superb. I believe he is obtained a superb each-way probability.

“Teahupoo will take his probability. He is enhancing and it is form of laborious to know what he has as he would not present a lot at dwelling, however when he goes to the monitor, he retains enhancing. We do not understand how good he’s to be trustworthy.”

Tommy’s Oscar has been a revelation for coach Ann Hamilton and her husband Ian, who owns the seven-year-old, successful his final 4 races. Although he’s undoubtedly progressive, he faces by far his hardest check up to now.

“He labored on Tuesday final week and it did the job. Then we schooled him on Wednesday, and he was good. To be trustworthy, I used to be eager to go to the Morebattle Hurdle myself, because it’s simply up the street and it was a £100,000 race,” stated Ian Hamilton.

“Brian Hughes and everybody else has been telling us that it isn’t fairly often that you’ve got a horse ok to go to Cheltenham, so we have to go for it. He was impressed with him the opposite evening when he labored with him and he stated he felt good – so for him to say that he have to be all proper, as a result of he is fairly modest.

“I do not suppose he is overwhelmed a top-class horse but, however he is enhancing so that you simply do not know. He hasn’t overwhelmed a Champion Hurdle horse, however he hasn’t confronted one but, so we’ll see. Hopefully he does it on Tuesday!

“He is enhancing on a regular basis and when he received the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock, I noticed a comparability with the novices’ race that Jonbon received. He was a superb few seconds sooner, so it was a superb time for the bottom.

“He is only a bit nervy, so it will be whether or not he is capable of deal with the Cheltenham crowd on the day. He is obtained a hood for the parade ring after which we’ll take it off after which he must be OK within the race itself.”