De Bromhead: 'Honey's been there and done it all, she's stood the test of time'

Henry de Bromhead has hailed Honeysuckle an "all-time great" no matter what happens when young pretenders Constitution Hill and State Man challenge over the coming months.

The trainer is well aware of the whizz-kids arriving on the scene this season, but thinks his unbeaten wondermare still holds all the aces in the Champion Hurdle pot.

The countdown to Honeysuckle's reappearance in the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle has ticked into the final fortnight and De Bromhead reports everything to have gone swimmingly in the lead-up to the race she is trying to win for an unprecedented fourth time at Fairyhouse on Sunday week.

If Honeysuckle goes through another season unbeaten and wins all four of her intended engagements, she would surpass Altior's record-breaking winning sequence of 19. It was put to De Bromhead that if she did make it 20 wins in a row she would be recognised as one of the all-time greats of the sport.

"I think she should anyway, for what she has done already. I think she's entitled to be there," the trainer replied.

"It would be amazing if she could go through the season unbeaten again but, who knows, she could get beaten in two weeks time in the Hatton's Grace."

The layers certainly do not seem to think a first defeat is likely at Fairyhouse as Unibet and William Hill make her 1-3 favourite to extend her unbeaten sequence to 17.

On her current wellbeing, De Bromhead said: "Honey is great, really good. She schooled this morning [Monday] and was brilliant. Rachael [Blackmore] was delighted with her. Her work has been very good, whatever that counts for now after A Plus Tard!

"She's got one more bigger piece of work to do and then it will be off to the Hatton's Grace again.

"I don't push mine to a level where I'd know if she's any better or worse than last season. I'll see it on the day like you guys will. Bar they are working deplorably, you don't push them to the limit. Especially those real good horses. If you do, you won't have them for very long.

"We brought her back into training in August and that has given us enough time to get her ready. I pushed her a little bit harder before the Hatton's Grace last year than I did the year before and we're on the same path as last year this time around. Those older horses, when you're only running them three or four times a season, you want it to really count."

Henry de Bromhead (second left) with the Honeysuckle team after the mare's victory at Punchestown last springCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

A few weeks ago Willie Mullins said that Honeysuckle was a huge price at 4-1 to win her third Champion Hurdle. Indeed, the champion trainer was so shocked at her odds that he took a screenshot on his phone and sent the image to Ruby Walsh and David Casey to find out if something were wrong.

"It's lovely to hear Willie saying that," De Bromhead said.

"I'm not a punter and it's not for me to comment, but I suppose you can see why people would support Constitution Hill. He was so impressive last season with his times and all the various things that people base performances on. You can understand all that but, on the other hand, Honey has been there and done it all. She has stood the test of time.

"The faster they go, the better for Honey. If you think of the Hatton's Grace last year when she had the race won half a mile from home, they had gone a ferocious gallop. The faster they go, the better it will suit her. She just seems to be able to go out there and do her thing no matter what. No matter what the ground is, no matter what the trip is and no matter what the pace is, she just seems to always do it. That's how I'd look at it.

"Constitution Hill was brilliant in the Supreme, but the year before Appreciate It won that race by a long way too. I know his time wasn't as good, but he was the one we were all being told about. All we can do is try to have Honey as right as we can and beat who we can. And if someone beats us then fair enough and fair play to them. We've had some spin with her."

On the prospect of facing Constitution Hill in what is being billed as one of the most eagerly awaited showdowns of the modern era, De Bromhead said: "That's what it's all about. That's all part of the game. That's the excitement of it. We just have to all get there on the day. Even State Man yesterday looked very good. There are a lot of very good horses coming through."

The biggest talking point of last weekend was Constitution Hill's no-show in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot because of conditions deemed too lively, and De Bromhead gave a staunch defence of Nicky Henderson's decision.

He said: "The reaction has been ridiculous. Nicky just wants to do the best for his horse. If he put up on Monday after the race that Constitution Hill was gone for the year they would all be giving out about that.

Nicky Henderson: has been criticised in some quarters for not running Constitution Hill at Ascot on SaturdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"These good horses are so hard to come by. All we want to do is look after them and make sure they can fulfil their promise.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that he is being criticised. Nicky decided the ground wasn't safe for his horse. End of. That's my opinion anyway. I don't think he has to apologise for anything.

"The ground is getting softer down the way in the autumn. It may look lovely, but a couple of inches under it could be like the road. It is a lot softer underneath in spring. The ground is going in the opposite direction."

Champion Hurdle, March 14

Unibet: 5-4 Constitution Hill, 7-2 Honeysuckle, 6 State Man, 7 Vauban, 16 Pied Piper, Sir Gerhard, 25 bar.

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