Honeysuckle was among stars to shine in the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, whilst champion trainer Willie Mullins dominated the two-day meeting by winning nine of the 15 races. The Champion Hurdle at next month’s Cheltenham Festival is now firmly on the agenda for Henry de Bromhead’s superstar mare after she secured back-to-back victories in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle in terrific style.
Honeysuckle was made to battle hard in the Grade 1 contest last season before going on to land the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. However, she put in a totally dominant display this time around under regular pilot Rachael Blackmore. After tracking the pacesetting pair of Petit Mouchoir and Saint Roi, Honeysuckle cruised to the front at the end of the back straight and strode effortlessly clear. She was then allowed to fiddle the final flight and only had to be nudged out to score by 10 lengths from Abacadabras, with Sharjah nabbing third.
Honeysuckle is now unbeaten in 10 starts and it was a career-best performance by a long chalk in my book which marked her out as arguably the one to beat in the Champion Hurdle for which she is now the 5/2 joint favourite with bet365 with last year’s winner Epatante. Winning handler De Bromhead said:
“That was brilliant, she was brilliant. It was what we hoped she’d do and she did it. It’s lovely the way she picked up, she’s not slow either, and you could see the speed of her there. On ratings it would have been her best performance. The Hatton’s Grace last season was pretty good as well. She’s put in a few real good performances, but that has to be up there.”
Chacun Pour Soi justified favouritism in style when landing the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown and is now an odds-on shot across the board in the ante post betting for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was sent off 2/5 to successfully retain his crown in the 2m 1f contest and never gave his legion of supporters any cause for concern.
Chacun Pour Soi travelled strongly in behind Notebook and Fakir D’oudairies under a confident Paul Towned and after being produced to take up the running at the last shot clear in the manner of something very special. At the line he had eight lengths to spare over a rejuvenated Fakir D’oudairies. Having been forced to miss the the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last year following a minor setback on the morning of the race, Chacun Pour Soi is now a top priced 10/11 with William Hill to provide Mullins’ with his first win in the two-mile spectacular.
Gaillard Du Mesnil initiated a four-timer on the card for Mullins when running out the five-length winner of the 2m 6f Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors ’50k Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff’ Novice Hurdle. It was a most taking display and one that saw him cut to 100/30 favourite by Paddy Power, from 13/2, for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Energumene also claimed Grade 1 honours for Mullins with an impressive all the way win in the Irish Arkle to set up a mouthwatering clash with Shishkin in the English equivalent at the Cheltenham Festival. Kilcruit then put in a stunning display for Clossuton maestro when barely having to break sweat in the Grade Goffs Future Stars I.N.H. Flat Race.
I can’t remember seeing a horse win such a competitive contest in the manner that he did, quickening away without jockey Patrick Mullins having to move a muscle. Not surprisingly, Kilcruit has now usurped Sir Gerhard as favourite for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and is a general 6/4 shot.
Monkfish made mincemeat of his rivals when putting the the most impressive performance of his career to date in the 2m 5f Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase. Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old, who landed the Albert Barlett at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, is now three out of three over fences and seems to be improving with each run.
There was little between the pair over hurdles at Cheltenham and Latest Exhibition gave Monkfish plenty to think about when they met at Christmas. However, Willie Mullins’ Monkfish extended his superiority over a clearly very good rival to 11 lengths this time. Paul Townend quickly sent the 1/2 favourite to the front and the Rich Ricci owned gelding put in a foot perfect round of jumping. Latest Exhibition briefly threatened after the second last, but when Townend gave Monkfish a shake of the reins he strolled clear to win easily by 11 lengths from Paul Nolan’s charge
Monkfish is now a top priced 10/11 favourite with bet365 for the Festival Novices’ Chase, formerly known as the RSA, at the Cheltenham Festival. Mullins said: “The horses are just in fantastic form. What can you say after a performance like that? Paul thought he should be in the next race (Irish Gold Cup).
“Today I was more impressed than any day. It looks like he might be getting better with each run, it was the ease with which he did it. “Everything is just so effortless. He just goes down, jumps, gallops. He seems to always be in the right position, he has huge scope – no matter where he is he gets his shoulders off the ground and bends his back. He just does everything so easily”
Kemboy made every yard of the running to win the feature race on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival, the Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup. Having been caught close home by a A Plus Tard in the Savills Chase at Christmas, Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old was given a very positive ride by Danny Mullins on ground which his handler had feared would be too testing.
With favourite Minella Indo blundering away any chance he had at the second last, Kembiy stuck to the task gamely to win by two lengths from The Storyteller, with last year’s winner Delta Work grabbing third. Paddy Power cut Kemboy to 10/1 from 14s for next month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, but Mullins revealed that he could switch back to smaller obstacles at the four-day spectacular. He said:
“He’s entered in the Stayers’ Hurdle as well as the Gold Cup, as I’m just not sure if fences are his thing around Cheltenham. We were all wondering if we should try something different as Cheltenham hasn’t been his luckiest spot.”