Honeysuckle heading for Mares' Hurdle as connections cool on Champion tilt

Honeysuckle will forever be an Irish Champion Hurdle winner but she is unlikely to contest the Cheltenham equivalent, with the six-year-old’s rousing victory at Leopardstown on Saturday not enough to alter the ambitions of connections who still favour the Mares’ Hurdle on the festival's opening day.

Kenny Alexander’s wondermare is yet to meet a rival capable of beating her in seven starts and is a best-priced 7-1 for the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

Yet despite Honeysuckle's prominent position in the betting and proven Grade 1 form against the best two-milers in Ireland, connections favour the longer trip of the Close Brothers-sponsored Mares' Hurdle and a potential clash with another superstar mare in Benie Des Dieux.

Peter Molony, who purchased the €110,000 mare after she beat Annie Mc by 15 lengths in a Dromahane point-to-point in April 2018 and acts as racing manager to Alexander, said: “Nothing is set in stone but we’re still leaning towards the Mares’ Hurdle with Honeysuckle.

“The main reason is that two and a half miles is her optimum trip. She’s top-class over two and a half miles and we want to do what’s best for the mare at Cheltenham.”

Watch Honeysuckle battle back for an emotional victory

Last year’s Champion Hurdle winner Espoir D’Allen died in August, while Buveur D’Air, who took the prize in 2017 and 2018, is on the sidelines with a freakish foot injury sustained in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November.

In what appears a non-vintage renewal, there must be a huge temptation for connections to commit Honeysuckle, now firmly established as one of jump racing’s biggest stars, to the opening-day Cheltenham showpiece rather than the less prestigious mares' race.

Ladbrokes make the Willie Mullins-trained Benie Des Dieux, winner of ten of her 15 starts over jumps, 4-6 favourite to regain the Mares’ Hurdle title she lost last year when falling at the final flight with the race at her mercy.

Honeysuckle, who is thriving under Henry de Bromhead’s tutelage, is quoted at 6-4 by the firm for a potential showdown that could well develop into one of the clashes of the festival.

Molony said: “Obviously there's a big temptation to go for the Champion Hurdle with Honeysuckle. It looks an open year and, of course, you have to take into account the frightening spectre of Benie Des Dieux in the Mares’ Hurdle.

“If Honeysuckle and Benie Des Dieux do meet in the Mares’ it could well be the race of the whole week.”

Molony has stated in the past Alexander's plan is “to build a nice breeding operation tilted towards racemares and broodmares, which is why he'd love to win the Mares' Hurdle”.

Victory for Honeysuckle in whichever Cheltenham race connections choose to target seems sure to raise the roof based on the scenes at Leopardstown after her valiant half-length triumph over Darver Star under Rachael Blackmore confirmed the mare’s fan club grows with each stirring success.

Read more:

Honeysuckle and Blackmore deliver

How good could Honeysuckle be?

Alexander eyeing Champion bid with Honeysuckle

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