Here it is. The clash we have been anticipating all season long. Unbeaten Honeysuckle versus last year’s reigning Champion Epatante. Not to mention the rest.
This time last year, this column waxed lyrical about Epatante and all the legitimate claims she had to victory. This year nothing has changed for her, except the competition.
It seems important to note that no British-bred horse has won the Champion Hurdle in the last 11 years. There were two British-hailing victors in the decade before that. But, otherwise, they have all of course been either French or Irish bred (6-5 to Ireland).
Obviously, this is not a categorical disadvantage to any runner, but it is clear that 19 times out of the last 21, the British have not been good enough. This is possibly the only notional ‘negative’ we can conjure towards Honeysuckle, who along with Not So Sleepy, are the only British born contenders this year.
And a second brief note is that five of the last 10 Champion Hurdle heroes have stemmed directly from the Sadler’s Wells paternal line, while the most recent three came from French blood.
Alas, no more fluff. We know what is at stake here so straight into the good stuff. Who are this year’s Unibet Champion Hurdle contenders and what are they made of?
HONEYSUCKLE (GB) – Henry De Bromhead
Unbeaten in 11 starts which includes six Grade Ones, back-to-back Irish Champion Hurdles and the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham last year. Where the ceiling of her limitations may lie is unknown.
SIRE: Sulamani - A high-class flat performer who won six Group One races over 10 and 12 furlongs including the French Derby, Dubai Sheema Classic, and the Juddmonte International at York. A half-brother to dual Derby winner Dream Well (sire of Klassical Dream), Sulamani died prematurely in 2017 and Honeysuckle is the flagbearer of his jumping-bred crops from Yorton Farm so far. But he has also been represented by 2011 Grade One Novice Hurdle winner Cash And Co, as well as 2016 Aintree Grand National winner Rule The World.
FEMALE FAMILY: Honeysuckle’s dam First Royal is by Lando and she placed in two Listed Hurdle races in Germany. She is the only foal out of her own unraced dam who in turn is a daughter of German Listed winner First Smile. Bar Honeysuckle and First Royal, it is a German flat family.
EPATANTE (FR) – Nicky Henderson
Epatante has also had 11 starts, winning eight of them, four at Grade One level including this race last year. She is bidding to emulate Buveur d’Air with successive Champion Hurdle wins for Nicky Henderson and JP McManus, and it would also be a fifth successive win in the race for her owner.
SIRE: No Risk At All - A dual Group Three winner himself on the flat in France, No Risk At All has risen from a low fee of €2,500 back in 2013 to now being the fourth most expensive National Hunt sire in France at €10,000. His oldest progeny turn seven this year and Epatante hails from that first crop of 87 foals along with Cheveley Park Stud’s multiple Grade One placed Allaho, Grade One Henry VIII Novice Chase winner Esprit Du Large and Grade One placed Gumball. Just to reiterate, these are all from No Risk At All’s first, very inexpensively-bred crop; not to mention the younger Grade One performers coming through such as Keskonrisk and Hook Up.
FEMALE FAMILY: Epatante’s female family is a little lighter on black type in comparison to all the promise held in her paternal lines. Her dam Kadjara won one race in France and did also produce Tante Sissi who won a Listed Hurdle Race in Newbury in 2012, as well as three other winners. And under Epatante’s third dam is Listed winner on the flat, L’Emeraude.
GOSHEN (FR) - Gary Moore
Goshen was set to win the JCB Triumph Hurdle last year in his first graded race attempt before being cruelly parted with his rider at the last Hurdle. He has had three mediocre efforts since, until seemingly back to form when winning the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle by 22 lengths three weeks ago.
SIRE: Authorized – The Epsom Derby, Racing Post Trophy and Juddmonte International winner who began his stud career at Sheikh Mohammad’s Dalham Hall, transferred to France for six years, and is now residing in Turkey. He has produced several Group One winners on the flat including last year’s Irish Derby winner Santiago, but Authorized is more celebrated in the jumping sphere as sire of the infamous Tiger Roll (who also won the Triumph before his two Grand Nationals) and eight-time Grade One winning hurdler Nichols Canyon. Authorized is then also by Montjeu, who sired dual Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly.
FEMALE FAMILY: Goshen has a brilliant French pedigree. His dam Hyde is by Poliglote (actually making Goshen inbred to Sadler’s Wells 3x3) and she placed once over Hurdles in France. Hyde’s second foal is the JP McManus’ and Willie Mullins Grade Two winning chaser Elimay. And they stem from French Listed winner Camarange who also produced the tough French chaser Naringe amongst a number of others.
ABACADABRAS (FR) – Denise Foster
In 13 starts, Abacadabras is the winner of five races including the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown and the Morgiana Hurdle; also finishing just a head second to Shishkin in the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham last year and 10 lengths behind Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle on their last outing.
SIRE: Davidoff – A Group Three winner over a mile in Germany, Davidoff is a son of Montjeu (sire of dual Champion Hurdle hero Hurricane Fly) and stood for very small fees in France before his early death at the age of 14. Along with Abacadabras, Davidoff is also the sire of Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle winner Saturnas, from seven crops of National Hunt racing age which averaged at 13 foals per crop.
FEMALE FAMILY: Abacadabras’ dam placed twice over hurdles in France and his year-younger full brother La Barakas, has placed in two Grade Three chases in their home country. Abacadabras' grandam is then a sister to Poliantas who won the Grade Two silver Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham for Paul Nicholls in 2003.
SHARJAH (FR) – Willie Mullins
Sharjah is now a four-time Grade One winner of the Morgiana, Ryanair and back-to-back Matheson Hurdles. He was solidly beaten by Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle both this year and last year, most recently finishing 19 lengths behind her in third. He did however finish second to Epatante in this race last year.
SIRE: Doctor Dino – The most expensive National Hunt stallion in France standing at €18,000 and for good reason. An international Group One winner on the flat in his day including two Hong Kong Vases, Doctor Dino began his stud career at €3,000 in 2010 and while his eldest progeny are just ten, his first five crops were extremely small (between 15 and 40 foals) and he has still been represented by the likes of Sharjah, Grade One winning chasers La Bague Au Roi and Sceau Royal, as well as French Grade One winning hurdler Master Dino.
FEMALE FAMILY: Sharjah comes from a decent flat family. His half-brother by Dark Angel, Sahawer, placed in multiple stakes races in France while his grandam Belle Argentine, is a stakes winner herself and placed in both the French Guineas and French Oaks. She is the dam of Group Three Cornwallis Stakes winner Alzerra and the grandam of Group Three Pavilion Stakes winner Gifted Master.
ASPIRE TOWER (IRE) – Henry De Bromhead
From six starts for Henry De Bromhead, Aspire Tower has won three races (two at Grade Two level), placed second in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham last year and was two lengths second behind Sharjah in the Matheson Hurdle at Christmas on his latest start. It is important to note that only two five-year-olds have won the Champion Hurdle in the past 34 years (Espoir d’Allen and Katchit).
SIRE: Born To Sea – A Listed winning and Irish Derby placed son of Invincible Spirit who is also a half-brother to Galileo and Sea The Stars. Now standing in France after eight years in Ireland, Born To Sea has sired one Group Three winner on the flat and has had much more promising results in the jumping sphere with both Aspire Tower and his Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle winning son, A Wave Of The Sea.
FEMALE FAMILY: Aspire Tower’s dam Red Planet is unraced and had already produced stakes performers on the flat in both Sweden and Italy. Red Planet is by Pivotal, a broodmare-sire sensation in the flat world, and is also a full-sister to speedball and Group One Nunthorpe Stakes (five furlongs) placed, Pivotal Flame. The better performers within Aspire Tower’s female family are certainly on the opposite end of the distance spectrum but he has already proven he is made for the two mile trip.
SILVER STREAK (IRE) - Evan Williams
Silver Streak finally broke his Grade One duck in the Christmas Hurdle when beating Epatante in December. He had previously placed sixth in this race last year and third the year before, as well as second to Epatante in the Christmas Hurdle in 2019, after 32 starts in total now.
SIRE: Dark Angel – A Group One winning sprinter who ran solely as a two-year-old and is a leading sire of sprinters.
FEMALE FAMILY: Silver Streak’s dam Happy Talk was a winner over 10 furlongs and has bred seven winners, all sprinters bar Aspire Tower and his half-brother Mica Mika who also won over hurdles. Happy Talk is a half-sister to Storm Dream who placed in the 1000 Guineas and is the grandam of Spanish Reef, a Group Two winner over a mile in Australia.
JAMES DU BERLAIS (FR) – Willie Mullins
"It's Willie's plan all the way through and you have to take on board when he does things like that."@agentbloodstock says @WillieMullinsNH made James Du Berlais' Champion Hurdle entry - no pressure from owners!
— Tattersalls Cheltenham (@tattscheltenham) March 10, 2021
Watch now » https://t.co/0QEGtghzBj#TattsCheltFestivalPreview pic.twitter.com/COJv7RotYI
First run for Willie Mullins since being purchased from France. Even though only five, he has run 13 times already - winning on four occasions including two Grade Three Hurdles over almost two-and-a-half miles and two Listed contests. He also placed second by short margins in two Grade One events over the same distance.
SIRE: Muhtathir – A top-class miler in his day and sire of a number of principal performers both on the flat and over jumps including Doctor Dino (sire of Sharjah above), as well as unbeaten Envoi Allen who won the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle over two miles along with his four other top-level wins - just to mention the most significant.
FEMALE FAMILY: Now this is something special. James Du Berlais is out of the King’s Theatre mare King’s Daughter. King’s Theatre is the sire of heavyweights such as Cue Card, The New One and L’Ami Serge. And King’s Daughter herself is a Grade Three winner over hurdles in Auteuil, placed at the top level and has already produced a Grade One winner in Goliath Du Berlais (Saint Des Saints) who won the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure over two-miles-six at Auteuil in 2019 and is now standing at stud in France for a fee of €7,500. James Du Berlais then has a younger full-sister who placed second in a Listed Hurdle race on her second start at Compiegne last year. And it doesn’t stop there, King’s Daughter is also a half-sister to Lyreen Legend who won a Grade Two Novice Hurdle at Thurles in 2012, placed second in the RSA and third in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
SALDIER (FR) – Willie Mullins
Also hailing from France, Saldier won the Grade One Champion 4YO Hurdle at Punchestown back in 2018 and has only been seen on four occasions since – winning the Grade One Morgiana Hurdle in 2019 and then being well beaten on his two starts this season in the Matheson behind Sharjah and the Irish Champion Hurdle behind Honeysuckle.
SIRE: Solider Hollow – A four-time Group One winner over ten furlongs and leading German sire of the likes of Dschingis Secret and Pastorius from only 412 total runners. Soldier Hollow has not had too many representatives over jumps but can take credit for Hatton’s Grace winner Arctic Fire and Grade Two bet365 Hurdle winner Silsol.
FEMALE FAMILY: Saldier’s dam ran just the once and is by Monsun who of course has created a huge legacy though his sons in the National Hunt world. She is a half-sister to two very different, but good horses – Sri Putra who was a top performer on the flat winning Group Twos in France and Britain and placing at the highest level numerous times; and Duty who won a Grade Two juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse. Saldier’s grandam is a sister to Caerlina who won the French Oaks and produced King Of Queens who won a Grade Two handicap hurdle also at Fairyhouse.
NOT SO SLEEPY (GB) – Hughie Morrison
Nine-year-old who will be running his 50th race on Tuesday. He pulled up in this race last year and his best form is back-to-back wins in the Grade Three Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot, the most recent on his last start in December.
SIRE: Beat Hollow – Multiple 10-furlong Group One winner and the sire of one of the only horses ever to win a Group/Grade One both on the flat and over obstacles – Wicklow Brave, as well as one of Friday’s leading Gold Cup contenders, Minella Indo.
FEMALE FAMILY: Not So Sleepy’s dam is unraced and his grandam is a half-sister to Great Voltigeur Stakes winner and St Leger-placed Air Marshall, as well as the dam of Fairyhouse Grade Three Hurdle winner Paco Jack.
