Check out the view from connections ahead of Saturday's feature action at Haydock Park.
With stablemate Constitution Hill safely tucked away in his box, Epatante appears to have been found an excellent opportunity to get back to winning ways in The New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.
The JP McManus-owned mare is clearly no slouch, with a Champion Hurdle, an Aintree Hurdle, two Christmas Hurdles and two Fighting Fifth Hurdles already in her satchel.
She has proved no match for the magnificent Constitution Hill in either the Fighting Fifth or the Christmas Hurdle so far this season, beaten 12 lengths at Newcastle and 17 at Kempton. But she was comfortably best of the rest on both occasions and is odds-on for this weekend’s Grade Two assignment.
Henderson told Unibet: “I think for all of us the ground is a bit of a worry but there’s nothing we can do about it and at the moment we just have to take what we can.She isn’t a gigantic mare but has won on soft ground before so you’d like to think she’ll at least get through it and she’s been in good form at home.
"She’s been ticking over nicely and this is a good opportunity to give her the chance of winning a race after bumping into Constitution Hill all season. It would just be lovely to get her head back in front again and give her some confidence.”
He added: “She had a terrific season last year, winning three Grade Ones, so owes us absolutely nothing, but she still retains all her ability and (for her) it’s a shame a certain horse owned by Michael Buckley has come on the scene because she would’ve already won two Grade Ones this season and likely be favourite for the Unibet Champion Hurdle!”
The highest-rated horse in the field is Jason The Militant, who makes his debut for Phil Kirby after being bought out of Henry de Bromhead’s yard.
The nine-year-old, who won at Grade Three and Grade Two level over hurdles, has also been declared for Lingfield on Sunday – but looks set to head for Merseyside provided the meeting goes ahead.
Kirby said: “He’s settled in grand and he’s been very straightforward. He’s done everything he’s been asked to do and we were hoping for some soft ground this weekend. It looks like we’ve got it, so we just need the racing to be on somewhere.
“We’ve had him around a month or so. He’s an older horse so he was perhaps ready for a change of scenery. We’re going to try and freshen him back up and try and get him somewhere back to where he was.
“He hasn’t been running badly though and he’s almost exclusively been running in top-level races. He’s a lovely horse and he’s got a nice rating, so these are the races he’s got to run in really.”
I Like To Move It won Greatwood Hurdle in November for Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies, but needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Relkeel on New Year’s Day.
High-class chaser Minella Drama is an interesting contender – switching back to hurdles for the first time since finishing second in a Grade One novice race at Aintree in the spring of 2021.
“I had him in the Peter Marsh and I was tempted, but it’s three-mile-two, and I had him the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield on Sunday, but with his Grade Two penalty he was giving weight to horses rated higher than him,” said trainer Donald McCain.
“It’s always kind of been in my head, is he a better chaser than a hurdler? I know this is a Champion Hurdle trial, but he goes on the ground and he likes the track and he’s in good nick.
“On his last run over hurdles he was second in a Grade One and we’ve done it before in this race (with Navajo Pass in 2021), so we thought we’d give it another go.”
Nells Son (Nicky Richards) and For Pleasure (Alex Hales) complete the line-up.
Connections of ever-popular Bristol De Mai are hoping that Haydock’s Saturday card gets the green light but will switch to Lingfield if the meeting falls to the weather.
The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained 12-year-old, who has won 10 of his 34 chase starts and finished second on another 10 occasions, relishes Haydock, especially when the ground is deep.
The consistent grey was runner-up in the Grand National Trial at the Merseyside track in February last year and was awarded the race six months later following The Galloping Bear’s disqualification.
His enthusiasm was evident on his return, as he showed up well for a long way in the Betfair Chase before tiring from four out.
Now he drops into handicap company for the Peter Marsh Chase, his first preference over Lingfield’s Fleur De Lys Chase on Sunday.
Anthony Bromley, racing manager to owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, said: “Basically we were planning to run him this weekend in either of the two races and he is declared for both. We will run in the first one that’s actually on and I’m pretty doubtful that either will be. If that is the case, we will wait for the Grand National Trial at Haydock at the next meeting for him, which he ran well in last year.
“With the inspection moved to 8am at Haydock, we are planning to be there. If that’s off, then we will look at Lingfield and we will redirect there.
“He has been a wonderful servant to the owners. He won a Grade One Hurdle as a three-year-old at Chepstow on his first run for the owners nine years ago and he’s still got the spark in him. They are they are happy with him at home.”
Though a precautionary inspection is planned for 8am, Sandy Thomson, who trains Empire Steel, one of six in the line-up, hopes a decision is made early, as he will be setting off at 6.30am from Berwickshire.
Empire Steel was pulled up behind Royale Pagaille in the race last year but bounced back to score at Kelso, and ran well for a long way when seventh to Brave Seasca at Aintree on his return in December.
“I was delighted with his run at Aintree,” said Thomson. “He didn’t run well in the race last year but he ran well at Haydock before that, so we are hoping for a big run. He has won on heavy, but I don’t think any horse will like the ground it is going to be, but for the money it is not the most competitive race.”
Elsewhere on the card, the Paul Nicholls-trained Stage Star looks to take another progressive step when he lines up against Grand Voyage and Lac De Constance in the Grade Two Patrick Coyne Memorial Altcar Novices’ Chase.
Winner of the Challow Hurdle at Newbury last season, he opened his chasing account when scoring at Warwick and put behind him a sub-par effort next time when winning as he liked in a minor Plumpton event.
“He is a smart young chaser and bounced back to form in style last time at Plumpton where his jumping was brilliant” Nicholls reported on his Betfair blog. “I think you can put a line through his previous defeat at Newbury where he was hanging quite badly left in the closing stages.
“He wasn’t quite right that day but looked in top order at Plumpton and continues to please at home.”
Chasing Fire could be chasing bigger prizes shortly as he step up into Grade Two company for the first time in the Sky Bet Supreme Trail Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle.
Having won his bumper, he is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles, both victories coming at Market Rasen.
“We are taking a step up in class and that will hopefully tell us where we are moving forward,” said Murphy. “We were delighted with his run last time and while it looks a decent race – I know Dan (Skelton) likes his horse (Pembroke) and Paul’s (Nicholls) horse (Toothless) won well at Fakenham last time – I wouldn’t swap my fellow for anything. If he comes out of this well, we will likely head for the Supreme, but this will tell us where we are with him.”
Nicholls saddles the ex-French Toothless in the seven-strong line-up, the son of Authorized having produced a facile success on his British debut.
“He made an eyecatching debut for us by winning a maiden hurdle at Fakenham by 35 lengths on New Year’s Day and Bryony Frost was so enthusiastic about him afterwards,” added Nicholls. “His form in three starts in France last spring was ordinary so we gave him plenty of time and felt he had improved massively in his home work before Fakenham.
“This is a big step up in grade for Toothless who I’d say is a smart horse. He is certainly bred in the purple and is a half-brother to the classy dual-purpose horse Sceau Royal.”
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