the dublin festival - opinions not to be lightly glossed over.

​Those of us who are blessed to be big time players in our sport have, in my opinion, not only a duty of care to their horses but also a duty of care to the sport. When an unbeaten horse, the winner of the Irish Champion Hurdle, and a mare to boot, is not immediately declared an intended runner in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, it is nothing short of scandalous. The problem lies, as we all know, no matter how well intentioned the initiative, is the OLGB Mares Hurdle at the Festival, which if it were a handicap would solve a problem or two.
Two of the most talented horses in the sport at the moment are Honeysuckle and Benie Des Dieux, yet neither, seemingly, will run in the race at the Festival that will crown them a champion. There is no championship hurdle run over 2-miles-4-furlongs, as there is no chase equivalent. And the OLBG Hurdle crowns no mare a champion. The OLBG should be a consolation for the connections of mares that are not quite championship class, yet the temptation to win a minor race at the Festival is slowly but surely devaluing two of its most prestigious races.
The Stayers Hurdle becomes a race to whet the appetite if Benie Des Dieux takes on Paisley Park; without the potentially great mare the latter becomes everyone’s banker of the meeting. It is the same with Honeysuckle. With her in the race, the Champion Hurdle has the potential to put our sport on the front pages of the national newspapers once more. The mare herself is newsworthy, at least to those of us wedded to the historical narrative of our sport, but with Rachael Blackmore added to the equation a victory for Honeysuckle will transcend our parochial world. Which is, is it not, exactly the wish of everyone within the sport from the B.H.A. to the really minor people like you or me?
I’m sorry great men that you are, but Mullins and de Bromhead need to strap a pair on and put the sport before personal ambition. You are both great trainers, with plenty of success at the Festival to fortify your present and future years, and if you both run your best horse in what is in effect a race of minority importance just to lessen your chance of going home without a winner, shame on you. And Henry de Bromhead, if you want to boast a Champion Hurdler in your career statistics, you’ll never have a better chance than this year. Yes Honeysuckle is not the slickest of jumpers but to my eyes she jumps plenty well enough to win a fairly ordinary, if competitive, renewal of the race and she will positively flourish when she reaches the home straight, where it becomes more about stamina than speed. It will be the dumbest, most chicken-hearted, decision if between them Mr.Alexander and Mr. de Bromhead choose to forego a crack at the Champion Hurdle this March.
In my opinion, and I’ll eat a sausage raw if I am proved wrong, Epatante will not win the Champion Hurdle this or any year. I’m not saying Honeysuckle will win the race but she is a better prospect than the current favourite. In fact, if I was to suggest an ante-post bet I would go each-way on the other de Bromhead horse, Petit Mouchoir, as honest a horse to look through a bridle, a horse sure to be in with a shout come the final hurdle and probably the final furlong.
Having watched the Gold Cup trial at Leopardstown, I am convinced there is but a few pounds between the horses at the forefront of the Gold Cup market at the moment and that any one of them is a likely winner. Why Santini is as short as 5/1 baffles me, especially when a proven top-class horse like Clan Des Obeaux is as long as 8/1. If the two ran in a match over a distance beyond 3-miles would you prefer the Henderson horse over the Nicholls horse. In a bog, yes, on decent ground, no way Charlie Brown. Bristol de Mai is as long as 40/1 in places and yet Santini was all out to beat him in the Cotswold Chase. And you can get 8/1, could possibly be favourite come the day, about Delta Work, a horse that can boast Grade 1 wins by the bagful.
As things stand, given half-decent ground, I still favour Frodon to jump the opposition into submission and to hold his ever-diminishing lead to the winning post. And again, I urge his connections to put the sport before the personal ambition of winning a race they have already won. Our sport provides great, and sometime inspiring stories, Frodon was one such story last year and if he prevails over Native River this Saturday at Newbury, it would be nothing short of disrespectful to shy away from the blue riband of steeplechasing come March. If anyone is in any doubt about his stamina, watch how he soared over the last fence in the Cotswold Chase last season.
Incidentally, given his status as this season’s second coming, I suppose his unflexing position at the head of the Ballymore market is to be expected but if I was a betting man, which I am not (I lack the courage of my convictions) I would shy away from Envoi Allen and fairly lump on the Mullins horse, The Big Getaway (not the Tizzard horse The Big Breakaway) – these horse names are getting bloody confusing – who I thought a mighty winner over the weekend.
Hold still my beating heart, for March 10th has never been closer.