THE REMARKABLE HONEYSUCKLE stretched her unbeaten record to 16 with another imperious display in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.
Henry de Bromhead’s superstar mare has enjoyed another faultless campaign, winning a third Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse before successfully defending her crown in both the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The eight-year-old was unsurprisingly a short price at to do the same on her return to County Kildare and ultimately landed odds of 1-5 with the minimum of fuss in the hands of Rachael Blackmore, beating Echoes In Rain by three lengths.
Saint Roi took the six-strong field along for much of the two-mile journey before Honeysuckle moved up to deliver her challenge leaving the back straight.
Just for a moment it looked like she might have a real race on her hands, with Saint Roi still travelling well enough in the lead and his stablemate Echoes In Rain looming large in Honeysuckle’s wing mirrors as they rounded the home turn.
But once straightened up, Blackmore’s mount found another gear to put the race to bed and while she slowed up and edged left jumping the final flight, she picked up again on the run-in and came home with three lengths in hand, much to the delight of the vast majority of those in the packed grandstands.
🍯 Honeysuckle - the horse of a lifetime who retains her unbeaten record
Echoes In Rain was a clear second, with Grand National and Gold Cup-winning jockey Robbie Power finishing last of the six aboard Teahupoo on his final ride before retirement.
Power received a warm reception from racegoers as he made his way back to the unsaddling area before Honeysuckle sent punters wild after returning to the winner’s enclosure to deserved acclaim.
Blackmore said: “She’s incredibly talented, I’m so lucky to be on her back. We’re all lucky to be part of what she is, she’s a phenomenally talented mare. She always does what she has to do, and that’s an incredible feat in any horse.
“As a jockey you dream of getting on a good horse, that’s what every jockey wants – you can’t achieve on the big days without that. But she takes it to another level – she blows good horses out of the water. I’m very lucky to ride her.
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“Henry does some job with her producing her like this every single day. She was brilliant. It’s a good team at home that makes these days so good and it’s important to have that.
“When we turned in, I did have to ask her for that gear and she found it and away we went. She just does what she has to. I can always feel when there is something coming because she can sense it too and she kicks on.
“It (the reception) was magic.”
Later at Punchestown, Cheltenham scorer State Man successfully graduated to Grade One level with a facile success in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.
A faller on his Irish debut at Leopardstown before landing cramped odds at Limerick, the five-year-old was a heavily-backed favourite for his handicap debut in last month’s County Hurdle and duly obliged.
He was the 11-10 market leader reverting to novice company for the all-conquering Willie Mullins – and after tracking stablemate Kilcruit, the in-form Flame Bearer and Aintree Grade One winner Three Stripe Life into the home straight under a confident Paul Townend, State Man eased to the front on the run to the final flight before pulling seven lengths clear.
Flame Bearer, who had won his previous three races, pipped Three Stripe Life to the runner-up spot.
Paul Townend onboard State Man comes home to win. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Mullins said: “Paul thought he had lots of speed and he showed lots of gears there.
“He’s a horse to look forward to next season. With a performance like that he could be a Champion Hurdle horse – that is probably the route we will go down.
“He’s very novicey and improving all the time. Paul said he was concentrating on keeping him settled and when he picked him up he switched gears. He was only going through the motions after that.
“From the first time we worked him at home he looked decent.
“Joe and Marie (Donnelly) have also purchased his four-year-old brother before Cheltenham.”
Joseph O’Brien’s Scarlet And Dove reversed Cheltenham Festival form with the Mullins-trained Elimay in the Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares’ Chase.
Elimay was the 8-11 favourite to supplement her victory in the Mares’ Chase at Prestbury Park, a race in which Scarlet And Dove was beaten just half a length into third place.
The pair had this Grade Two contest between them a long way from home and it was 3-1 shot Scarlet And Dove who asserted from the home turn to score by 15 lengths under Bryan Cooper.
O’Brien said: “She ran really well in Cheltenham where she missed the last two fences and was still close to Elimay. We weren’t sure we’d beat her today, but thought we’d give her a good run for her money.
“I suppose winning a Grade One would be the main objective next season. She’s a Grade Two winner and a big mare so there is no reason why she can’t be even better next year.”
Mullins had earlier landed the EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase for the fourth year in succession with El Barra (8-1).
Kemboy, Real Steel and Asterion Forlonge had won the last three runnings before going on to bigger and better things, and El Barra added her name on the roll of honour with a six-length verdict under top conditional Jack Foley.
Mullins said: “It was a very polished ride. I think I’m going to use him as my driver. He found his way around all the traffic there and I got held up in traffic and only saw the end of it!
“Jack is a very good young rider. He started off with my brother Tom and we saw how good he was. We invited him to ride some of our horses and he’s champion conditional this year, which is fantastic for him.”
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Honeysuckle rules supreme again, State Man successfully graduates to Grade One level
LAST UPDATE | 29 Apr 2022
THE REMARKABLE HONEYSUCKLE stretched her unbeaten record to 16 with another imperious display in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.
Henry de Bromhead’s superstar mare has enjoyed another faultless campaign, winning a third Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse before successfully defending her crown in both the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The eight-year-old was unsurprisingly a short price at to do the same on her return to County Kildare and ultimately landed odds of 1-5 with the minimum of fuss in the hands of Rachael Blackmore, beating Echoes In Rain by three lengths.
Saint Roi took the six-strong field along for much of the two-mile journey before Honeysuckle moved up to deliver her challenge leaving the back straight.
Just for a moment it looked like she might have a real race on her hands, with Saint Roi still travelling well enough in the lead and his stablemate Echoes In Rain looming large in Honeysuckle’s wing mirrors as they rounded the home turn.
But once straightened up, Blackmore’s mount found another gear to put the race to bed and while she slowed up and edged left jumping the final flight, she picked up again on the run-in and came home with three lengths in hand, much to the delight of the vast majority of those in the packed grandstands.
Echoes In Rain was a clear second, with Grand National and Gold Cup-winning jockey Robbie Power finishing last of the six aboard Teahupoo on his final ride before retirement.
Power received a warm reception from racegoers as he made his way back to the unsaddling area before Honeysuckle sent punters wild after returning to the winner’s enclosure to deserved acclaim.
Blackmore said: “She’s incredibly talented, I’m so lucky to be on her back. We’re all lucky to be part of what she is, she’s a phenomenally talented mare. She always does what she has to do, and that’s an incredible feat in any horse.
“As a jockey you dream of getting on a good horse, that’s what every jockey wants – you can’t achieve on the big days without that. But she takes it to another level – she blows good horses out of the water. I’m very lucky to ride her.
“Henry does some job with her producing her like this every single day. She was brilliant. It’s a good team at home that makes these days so good and it’s important to have that.
“When we turned in, I did have to ask her for that gear and she found it and away we went. She just does what she has to. I can always feel when there is something coming because she can sense it too and she kicks on.
“It (the reception) was magic.”
Later at Punchestown, Cheltenham scorer State Man successfully graduated to Grade One level with a facile success in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.
A faller on his Irish debut at Leopardstown before landing cramped odds at Limerick, the five-year-old was a heavily-backed favourite for his handicap debut in last month’s County Hurdle and duly obliged.
He was the 11-10 market leader reverting to novice company for the all-conquering Willie Mullins – and after tracking stablemate Kilcruit, the in-form Flame Bearer and Aintree Grade One winner Three Stripe Life into the home straight under a confident Paul Townend, State Man eased to the front on the run to the final flight before pulling seven lengths clear.
Flame Bearer, who had won his previous three races, pipped Three Stripe Life to the runner-up spot.
Mullins said: “Paul thought he had lots of speed and he showed lots of gears there.
“He’s a horse to look forward to next season. With a performance like that he could be a Champion Hurdle horse – that is probably the route we will go down.
“He’s very novicey and improving all the time. Paul said he was concentrating on keeping him settled and when he picked him up he switched gears. He was only going through the motions after that.
“From the first time we worked him at home he looked decent.
“Joe and Marie (Donnelly) have also purchased his four-year-old brother before Cheltenham.”
Joseph O’Brien’s Scarlet And Dove reversed Cheltenham Festival form with the Mullins-trained Elimay in the Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares’ Chase.
Elimay was the 8-11 favourite to supplement her victory in the Mares’ Chase at Prestbury Park, a race in which Scarlet And Dove was beaten just half a length into third place.
The pair had this Grade Two contest between them a long way from home and it was 3-1 shot Scarlet And Dove who asserted from the home turn to score by 15 lengths under Bryan Cooper.
O’Brien said: “She ran really well in Cheltenham where she missed the last two fences and was still close to Elimay. We weren’t sure we’d beat her today, but thought we’d give her a good run for her money.
“I suppose winning a Grade One would be the main objective next season. She’s a Grade Two winner and a big mare so there is no reason why she can’t be even better next year.”
Mullins had earlier landed the EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase for the fourth year in succession with El Barra (8-1).
Kemboy, Real Steel and Asterion Forlonge had won the last three runnings before going on to bigger and better things, and El Barra added her name on the roll of honour with a six-length verdict under top conditional Jack Foley.
Mullins said: “It was a very polished ride. I think I’m going to use him as my driver. He found his way around all the traffic there and I got held up in traffic and only saw the end of it!
“Jack is a very good young rider. He started off with my brother Tom and we saw how good he was. We invited him to ride some of our horses and he’s champion conditional this year, which is fantastic for him.”
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Champion Hurdle honeysuckle Horse Racing Punchestown