Champion pretenders get chance to stake claim to imperious Honeysuckle's crown

A great horse needs great rivals and this weekend's action should go a long way to determining what sort of challenge Honeysuckle will face in the two-mile hurdling division this season with many of the star performers ready for battle.

While Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore would surely be more than happy to continue thrashing rivals not on their superstar mare's level – and there would be much to still marvel at in that scenario – it is less fun for the neutrals, who will be hoping to witness the return to top form of another Champion Hurdle-winning mare in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle on Saturday.

After winning a dramatic running last year, Epatante subsequently disappointed on her next three starts when suffering a shock defeat in the Christmas Hurdle before being decisively beaten twice by Honeysuckle in the spring.