Epatante and Not So Sleepy fought out an epic Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle that was called a dead heat; Honeysuckle was an impressive eight-length winner of the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday
Monday 29 November 2021 12:31, UK
The hurdling division was in focus this weekend, with 2020 Champion Hurdle winner Epatante grinding out a dead heat at Newcastle and defending Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle obliterating the Hatton’s Grace field.
We take a look at some of the Champion Hurdle contenders after the weekend action, and attempt to work out if any of them can get close to Henry De Bromhead's superstar mare.
It was another utterly dominant display from the seven-year-old mare on Sunday as she remained unbeaten through 13 starts with an eight-length victory over Ronald Pump in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The race can't be viewed as an easy starter for her either, with Grade One winners in Stormy Ireland and Abacadabras among a high-class field.
She has defeated everything in this division over the last two years, so it's hard to make a case for any of her rivals, especially if she shows up in similar vein at Prestbury Park next March.
Surely another Grade One target in the Irish Champion Hurdle awaits, before a trip to Cheltenham and possibly Punchestown.
Arguably the most impressive two-mile display this season came from Sharjah, when he hacked up in the Morgiana Hurdle earlier this month, defeating race-fit Zanahiyr and young pretender Echoes In Rain to land another top-tier success.
He has placed in the last two Champion Hurdles, behind Epatante and Honeysuckle so it could be that we know his ceiling already.
Willie Mullins could run Sharjah at Christmas or wait until the Dublin Racing Festival - he isn't usually afraid to take on a superstar, something he will surely have to do if they are to win the Champion Hurdle for the first time since Annie Power in 2016.
At a very wintry Newcastle on Saturday, Epatante got her career back on track with another victory in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, albeit shared with Not So Sleepy who got back up to force a dead heat in a gripping Grade One event in the North East snow.
The ground clearly wasn't to suit Epatante so her efforts alongside Aidan Coleman should be factored in, but would that form be close to that of Honeysuckle? You'd have to say no.
Nicky Henderson will have left something to improve on with his mare, but she will surely need to find extra improvement in order to turn around the nine-and-a-half length defeat Honeysuckle dished out at Cheltenham earlier this year.
She is currently rated 11 pounds below Honeysuckle and that looks fair on all form in the last 18 months.
The Champion Hurdle market has a red-hot favourite, in part down to the lack of genuine Grade One contenders in the division, with plenty of the names towards the top of the market unlikely to run in the race.
Willie Mullins has Ferny Hollow and Appreciate It towards the top of the market, with the pair both expected to make their chasing debuts in the next few weeks.
He also trains Echoes In Rain, who was very disappointing in the Morgiana Hurdle and could end up stepping up in trip to race in the Mares Hurdle.
Further down, Teahupoo is interesting after an impressive seasonal reappearance, defeating Quilixios by a dozen lengths in the Fishery Lane Hurdle, but he will also need to step up in Open company.
As for the rest of the British challenge, Adagio could be a lively outsider after an excellent second in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham for the David Pipe team, although clearly he will need to improve to be a factor in March.