After 36 entries were unveiled for the Unibet Champion Hurdle, David Ord looks at the big questions that need answering ahead of this year's renewal.
Will Epatante handle Cheltenham?
Well we need a question mark over the favourite don’t we? And this is the obvious one.
It was telling in the immediate aftermath of the Gerry Feilden, in which JP McManus’ charge made a winning reappearance with a fluent success over stablemates French Crusader and Elusive Belle, that Nicky Henderson seemed taken aback at Lydia Hislop’s suggestion on Racing TV he might take a look at the Christmas Hurdle with the winner.
Even 24 hours later in an interview with the same channel’s Luck On Sunday, he was still to settle on the idea as he pondered whether he could even get her into the race. He did and share barely came off the bridle to thump Silver Streak by five lengths.
She was everything you want in a Champion Hurdle contender, quick over her obstacles, raced on the bridle and had a change of gear to put things quickly to bed after the last. Tick, tick and tick.
So the only check we now require is will she be as effective over the undulations of Prestbury Park as she was the flat, rolling plains in Sunbury and Berkshire?
She wasn't in last year's Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle when sent off the 15/8 favourite. She was considered by many at Seven Barrows, her trainer included, the banker of the week but was novicey with her jumping. A mistake four out rocked her onto her heels and while she made ground to be chasing the leaders in the first-time hood, she was crying enough shortly after turning for home.
There are many potential factors as to why – and a more persuasive argument than the track could be made for her lack of experience going into last year’s Festival. She’d won two of her three bumpers in France but only contested two novice hurdles in England prior to March, beating up much inferior opposition at Kempton and Exeter.
If last year’s Dawn Run was a wake-up call, it clearly worked.
Professional and slick in both starts this term, she's looked the real deal. But still there is that one last, lingering question.
Is Honeysuckle as effective going left-handed?
It could have been will she run here and not the mares' race, although in my experience your position on that purely revolves around if you’ve backed her for the Champion or not.
Is she a genuine Grade One two miler is another pertinent one. She’s only raced over the minimum trip once, making all at a steady pace and always having the measure of her rivals in a Listed heat at Thurles.
Her two stand-out performances have been over two-and-a-half, in Grade One contests at Fairyhouse. Although to be fair, five of her six wins have been over two-and-a-half miles at Fairyhouse.
There’s little in her make-up to suggest going the other way round will be an issue, indeed she showed a slight tendency to jump to her left at times at Thurles (although this has never resurfaced).
Connections look to be pointing her towards the PCI Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown next which will answer both the two mile and left-handed questions. That’s very good of them.
She’s good enough if fast enough – we know that already – so that only leaves Champion or Mares'?
Win well at Leopardstown and would they really be able to resist going for gold in such an open year?
What is the pick of the Willie Mullins team?
It was Klassical Dream. It should be Klassical Dream. But right now it can’t be Klassical Dream.
Let’s start with his three swashbuckling Grade One wins during last season’s novice campaign at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Punchestown. They were performances of immense quality and potential. He was never in danger of defeat at any stage of the Sky Bet Supreme and was arguably even more impressive when coasting to victory in Ireland’s major spring festival the following month.
But things haven’t gone right this term – in fact they could have barely gone more wrong. He fluffed his lines when sent off at 2/5 for the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November, always racing too keenly after an exuberant jump at the first.
Still we expected to see the real Klassical Dream in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas but again exuberance got the better of him. He threw himself at the first hurdle down the back straight and then all but fell at the fourth. He was still in there pitching two out but Paul Townend knew the game was over and allowed him to coast home.
There’s a serious talent in there – but it needs harnessed again. He couldn’t be in better hands to do so and it would be no surprise to see connections reach for a hood in his clash with Honeysuckle et all in the Irish Champion.
But it needs to work – and work fast. This is a race that’s crying out for a fit and firing Klassical Dream, and one who is negotiating his hurdles in an efficient manner too.
Stablemate Saldier came through to pick up the pieces and win the Morgiana, producing a very smart performance in the process. It should have come as little surprise, given he was a Grade One winning juvenile hurdler. He spent a spell on the sidelines after a crashing fall at Naas but was at least as good as ever at Punchestown.
He's quick and reportedly back on target for the Festival – although with the popular hashtag #straighttocheltenham attached after another small setback.
But it's Sharjah who appeals as pick of team Mullins. He was fourth in the Morgiana, behind even the freewheeling Klassical Dream, but ran as if very much needing it.
That was confirmed as he won the Matheson Hurdle for a second successive season, quickening readily clear of Petit Mouchoir after being produced to lead at the last. It was his third top flight success.
He handles testing ground but has plenty of form on a sounder surface too and Patrick Muilins gets a real tune out of him. He heads to the Irish Champion at the Dublin Racing Festival and could emerge from it as Ireland's main hope.
Could a novice win it?
Well, conceivably. After all you’ve read, everything points to it being an open year. With Epatante #straighttocheltenham the only race than can really shake things up is the Irish Champion. If Klassical Dream or Honeysuckle blow that race apart, or Sharjah quickens past the lot of them on the flat, then we have a different picture.
But Gordon Elliott will be keeping a close eye on proceedings. He’s likely to throw Apple’s Jade in there to defend her Leopardstown crown but waiting in the wings are Envoi Allen and Abacadabras waiting in the wings.
The latter looks tailormade for the Sky Bet Supreme but his stablemate is as low as 4/1 with the non-runner/no bet firms for this. He’s unbeaten, a dual Grade One winner over timber and you sense we’re still only scratching the surface with him.
He’s just the sort of horse that attracted owners Cheveley Park into the winter game. He’s even-money for the Ballymore and you sense that’s the likely destination, but if nothing emerges from Leopardstown, are they really going to sit and wait for another year with him?
After all connections know better than most that if 12 months is a long time in politics, it’s an eternity with a racehorse. You might never find a better opportunity to win a Champion either before going up in trip and over fences as the six-year-old moves forward.
There was nothing in his win in the Lawlor’s Of Naas that suggested he’s screaming out for two-and-a-half, and even less in his Royal Bond defeat of Abacadabras over the minimum trip in the Royal Bond. He’s the best novice hurdler heading into the spring of 2019. That might be enough to make him the best hurdler too.
It’s a big call but the temptation to roll the dice must be there.
Can Samcro win it?
He’s going handicap chasing isn’t he? I’m sure he is. Eddie O’Leary said as much. He’s taken well enough to fences hasn’t he? Not quite the horse he threatened to be is he? So, no. He can't.
Is there are a potential lurker somewhere?
Pentland Hills continues to be the subject of glowing reports from Nicky Henderson and it did seem a simple case of needing the run when his effort petered out after the last in the International at Cheltenham last month.
He’s reported to have thrived since and heads to the New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday. He needs to win and win well there to even cement his prominent position in the Champion Hurdle market and let’s be fair a horse who’s challenging for second favouritism is hardly a lurker.
Darasso is. He’s a top-priced 50/1 and probably shouldn’t be.
He’s in excellent hands (Joseph O’Brien) and owned by JP McManus. He won four times in his native France before joining current connections and was a devious so and so in tempting them into thinking he was a stayer to start with.
Second to Bachasson over two-and-a-half miles on his Irish debut at Punchestown, he went up to three miles for the Galmoy Hurdle and sent off at 9/2, was a patent non-stayer when fifth to Presenting Percy.
Dropped to two miles, he turned the Red Mills Trial Hurdle into a procession, beating Forge Meadow by 11 lengths with subsequent Triumph Hurdle runner-up Couer Sublime another eight lengths away in fourth.
There was one more run – over fences – in the Webster Cup at Navan on the Sunday of Cheltenham week. A two-and-a-quarter lengths win over Cadmium followed and that rival went on to win the Topham as he liked from a mark of 152 next time.
You sense connections still really don’t know what Darasso is – other than very good. He’ll be in every chase and hurdle at Cheltenham and in the build-up. He probably wants testing ground too.
But he’s in The New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday. He’s in the Irish Champion and he’s in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
He probably has about seven pounds to find with the very best of these – if the very best of these are at their very best at Cheltenham.
But there’s more to come. Look, he could end up in the Ryanair, could end up back in the Webster Cup, or a Coral Cup. But if he is there when the tapes fly up on the opening day of the Festival, he won’t be 50/1.
Posted at 1145 GMT on 16/01/20
