Twiston-Davies 'pretty confident' - but can I Like To Move It down Epatante?

Saturday: 2.25 Cheltenham
Unibet International Hurdle (Grade 2) | 2m1f | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Only twice in the last ten years has this been won by a horse producing a Racing Post Rating of 160-plus – The New One in 2014 and 2016 – but this season’s competitive running looks well up to scratch and there is a strong chance the horse who comes out on top will register a top-notch performance.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained I Like To Move It has already reached the magic 160 mark. He was awarded that lofty figure when lumping top weight of 12 stone to victory in the Greatwood at the November meeting last month and that red-hot handicap was the best trial for this race in the early part of the century.

Rooster Booster (2002), Rigmarole (2003), Detroit City (2006), Khyber Kim (2009) and Menorah (2010) all did the double, while Osana was runner-up behind Sizing Europe in the Greatwood in 2007 before winning this. However, that trend hasn’t been as strong recently.

You have to go back seven years to Old Guard’s win in 2015 for the last horse to complete the double, but the fact Twiston-Davies saddled Khyber Kim to complete the feat in 2009 will give I Like To Move It's supporters some hope, but he will definitely need to improve again.

That’s because Epatante is a former Champion Hurdle winner who sets the standard with a career-best RPR of 163. That equates to an even higher 170 when including her 7lb mares' allowance and would still give her 4lb in hand of I Like To Move It, even under her 6lb penalty for winning the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle last season.

That wasn’t a strong top-level event. Monmiral and McFabulous chased her home and neither are high-class hurdlers, while big rivals Zanahiyr and Brewin’upastorm didn’t finish.

Epatante has been beaten twice since, recording RPRs of just 151 at Punchestown and 153 when behind Constitution Hill at Newcastle last time, and will need to produce a better performance to win here. Honeysuckle tasted her first defeat as an eight-year-old last week and Epatante, who is also eight, might be on the wane.

Knappers Hill and First Street are going the other way and have made rapid progress through handicaps. Knappers Hill made his mark in a Graded race when landing the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton last time, but that does mean he carries a 6lb penalty.

He has to give weight all round and needs a career best, but his trainer Paul Nicholls completed the Elite-International double with Zarkandar in 2012 when the Wincanton race was a handicap, and on RPRs Knappers Hill is 2lb higher than First Street, who won a handicap last time.

First Street was given a career-best RPR for that success in the Gerry Feilden, but the standout piece of form on his ledger is his second to State Man in last season’s County Hurdle when conceding 1lb to the subsequent Morgiana winner. On that run, First Street is a danger to all.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

'We have options with Epatante' - Champion Hurdler returns to Cheltenham

Just 14 days on from finishing a distant second to a stunning Constitution Hill in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, Epatante returns to action and has the opportunity to further inform trainer Nicky Henderson about where she could end up in March.

She won the Champion Hurdle in 2020 and has finished placed in the last two runnings, but a 12-length thrashing from her brilliant stablemate at Newcastle means the Mares' Hurdle is now firmly under consideration.

Epatante: returns to CheltenhamCredit: Edward Whitaker

Saturday's test is set to offer more clues. She was a well-beaten ninth on her only try on the more stamina-sapping New course in the 2019 Mares' Novices' Hurdle but advertised she stays further when an easy winner of the Aintree Hurdle in April. A stiffer test could be precisely what is best for her now.

"Epatante has been in real good form since Newcastle," Henderson said. "It's only a fortnight since the Fighting Fifth but for obvious reasons the plan is to go here, as Constitution Hill will go to Kempton. Aidan [Coleman] was able to be kind to her [after she was beaten] at the end, which may help her.

"It seems sensible, she loves Cheltenham. She's won a Champion Hurdle and was second last season – she's a top-class mare. She proved she stayed two and a half miles at Aintree so we do have options."

Epatante's stablemate First Street similarly comes here a fortnight on from his seasonal return. He shouldered top weight with ease when striking in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury on Coral Gold Cup day and has his first test in open Graded company.

"I thought First Street put in a good performance off 12st at Newbury," said Henderson. "He's also coming back after two weeks. I had been keen to take him to Ascot next weekend but he's going to end up with 12st in that so it seemed logical to come here. Rightly or wrongly we're going to have a crack at this."

I Like To Move It camp 'pretty confident'

Local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies insists I Like To Move It can benefit from home advantage, with two of the best performances of his career coming at Cheltenham.

The latest of those was a superb win off top weight in the Greatwood Hurdle last month. His trainer has previously compared him to yard legend The New One, who won this race three times, and he is confident of his chances.

"He's been in superb form," Twiston-Davies told William Hill. "We’re well aware this is a strong contest and it won’t be easy to win, but Cheltenham is his racecourse and he runs better there than anywhere else.

"It’s a tough race to win, but he goes round Cheltenham so well that you’d have to be pretty confident. Looking further ahead, the two-mile hurdle division looks a bit tricky when you think about Constitution Hill’s performance in the Fighting Fifth.

"If we come through Saturday well then the Champion Hurdle would still be our target."

Nicholls backs Knappers Hill to be 'in the mix'

Knappers Hill is chasing a fifth consecutive victory and his trainer Paul Nicholls believes this will be his biggest test yet.

He lowered the colours of Sceau Royal in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton last month and that followed victories at Newton Abbot, Sandown and Chepstow. He benefits from his favoured good ground here.

The champion trainer said: "He’s a very progressive horse, having won his last four. It’s his toughest task to date but the ground will suit and there’s more to come. He’ll be in the mix."

Saturday's previews:

1.30 Doncaster: 'I'll be disappointed if he doesn't take the beating' - Harris in bullish mood

1.50 Cheltenham: 'He's crying out for this trip' - key trainer quotes for the December Gold Cup

2.40 Doncaster: Can James Ewart strike gold again with another promising French youngster?

3.00 Cheltenham: 'He goes there with a lovely chance' - Nicholls excited for Albert Bartlett trial

Newcastle: 'He had a great time last season' - all you need to know for Newcastle

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