'It's not black or white' - festival options still open say Honeysuckle camp

Connections of star mare Honeysuckle on Monday insisted the Unibet Champion Hurdle remains firmly on the table, despite trainer Henry de Bromhead raising the possibility the three-time Cheltenham Festival winner could make a controversial switch to the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle come March.

The dual Champion Hurdle winner lost her unbeaten record in the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse a week last Sunday, suffering her first defeat in 17 starts under rules when finishing third behind Teahupoo and Klassical Dream.

De Bromhead reflected on that defeat from Cork on Sunday, when he opened the door for Honeysuckle to forgo the opportunity to join legends like Istabraq, See You Then, Persian War, Sir Ken and Hatton's Grace by winning a third Champion Hurdle in March and instead go for the Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle, a race she won at the 2020 festival.