'She needs her confidence and she's got it back' - Epatante shines bright

Thursday: Betway Aintree Hurdle, Aintree

He and she may both be former champions but that is not to say they are anything but hugely good at what they do.

The history books are not exactly littered with the glittering achievements of past Champion Hurdle winners who have lost their crowns and bounced back to recapture former glories.

So the tremendous achievements of Epatante this season are immensely to the credit of Nicky Henderson, who is coming off second best in his own battle to reclaim the trainers' title from Paul Nicholls.

The 2020 Cheltenham heroine was put in her place by Honeysuckle there 12 months on, part of an anti-climactic season in which she was also beaten at 1-5 in the Christmas Hurdle.

3.30 Aintree: full result and replay

Yet Henderson has not won six championships without learning a thing or several about getting a top-notcher back to their best and JP McManus's eight-year-old has been reborn in 2021-22.

Having dead-heated for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and avenged last year's defeat at Kempton, she put up a sparkling performance to complete a Grade 1 treble for the season on her step up to 2m4f in the Betway Aintree Hurdle.

Seven-time Grade 1 winner Epatante slammed her rivals in convincing fashionCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The longer trip did not blunt her speed at all and she positively cruised up to dispute the lead at the final flight, where she was left clear by the fall of Zanahiyr, who in turn caused Guard Your Dreams to unseat his jockey, and she came home a 14-length winner.

Her win came just 23 days after second place at Cheltenham, where Epatante would have given Honeysuckle even more of a race had she not made a mistake at the last

McManus said: It was a great performance by Nicky to have her in the shape she was in after the Champion Hurdle. She met one too good for her in the Champion but it was great that he got her back and she delivered."

Henderson was delighted with the mare and said: "The staff all play a big part in this; she needs her confidence and she's got it back as you can see. She's on top of her form. That was lovely and she deserves that, she's done nothing wrong all year.

"JP said at the beginning of the season the Fighting Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle are her golden aims. We halved one and won the other. You'd settle for that. She had a crack at the Champion Hurdle and she was an honourable second. She's massively improved on last year when things went badly wrong.

"There was a concern about the trip but round here this is about speed and that probably helped her."

Stepping up in trip did not cause Aidan Coleman to alter tactics on Epatante and the jockey said: "I didn't ride her any differently. You can ride her any way you want, she's so good. You just do whatever you want on her.

"She got a lovely run through, she jumped good and she was travelling well when we got left alone at the last. It was a super performance.

Aidan Coleman gives the cameras a thumbs up after winning the Aintree HurdleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"She's won Grade 1s right handed, she's won Grade 1s left handed, she's won a Champion Hurdle undulating and left handed – whatever you want, she'll do. She's just very good."

The Nicholls-trained pair Monmiral and McFabulous were left to take second and third places, albeit at a respectful distance.

"Monmiral travelled and galloped really well," the trainer said. "He's next year's horse and I can't wait to go chasing with him.

"McFabulous has run one of his best races and will be fine when he goes chasing. He'll probably go to Sandown on the last day of the season for the two-mile-five conditions hurdle."

Read more Aintree reports:

'Not how I like to play sport' – drama as Knight Salute wins in stewards' room

'I was there way too soon and he idled' – how the stewards' inquiry played out

Classy Clan Des Obeaux repels Conflated for second Betway Bowl success

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