Irish Champion Hurdle: Rachael Blackmore rides Honeysuckle to repeat Leopardstown gain

Rachael Blackmore rode star mare Honeysuckle to a vastly amazing next successive Irish Winner Hurdle triumph at Leopardstown.

Henry de Bromhead’s 10-11 favourite took the guide at the third previous prior to powering away to complete nicely obvious of Gordon Elliott’s 10-1 shot Abacadabras.

At Sandown, the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup victor Native River gained the Cotswold Chase.

Despite a flawless occupation to day, Honeysuckle had the standing of doing just enough in many of her races which involved holding off quickly-finishing Darver Star in the Irish Winner Hurdle at past year’s Dublin Racing Competition.

Having said that, it was a pretty different story on Saturday as she proved completely dominant in the 6-potent discipline immediately after moving very clear of 2017 race winner Petit Mouchoir just right before the 3rd past.

These types of was her gain, Blackmore was equipped to permit Honeysuckle to fiddle the ultimate flight ahead of pushing her out to earn by 10 lengths, with Abacadabras a clear 2nd ahead of Willie Mullins’ Sharjah in third, as De Bromhead’s star clinched a sixth Grade One success.

“She was just lethal and Henry has just performed an unbelievable position with her,” said Blackmore.

Connections of the winner keep the selection of bidding for a second Mares’ Hurdle good results in the Cotswolds subsequent month, but she seems virtually certain to bid for Winner Hurdle glory, with her odds slashed from 6-1 to 9-4 joint-favorite with Epatante.

Successful coach De Bromhead heaped praise on horse and jockey alike immediately after the win.

“Rachael was amazing on her and she’s just class,” stated De Bromhead.

Requested regardless of whether this victory verified the Champion Hurdle participation, the coach extra: “”I will have to talk to Kenny (Alexander, operator) and Peter (Molony, owner’s racing manager), but you would have to come to feel that we’d be leaning that way.”

Native River to be aimed at second Gold Cup

Chacun Pour Soi, experienced by Mullins, is now odds-on in spots for future month’s Queen Mom Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival following taking the previously Dublin Chase at Leopardstown.

Native River, in the meantime, bounced again to form aged 11 with a brilliant earn at Sandown in the race which was rescheduled following Cheltenham’s assembly was abandoned last 7 days.

The 13-2 opportunity, less than Richard Johnson, gained by 9 and a fifty percent lengths with Bristol De Mai second and Santini third.

“He’s as rough as they come,” reported Colin Tizzard’s son and assistant trainer Joe of Indigenous River, who is about 16-1 for a 2nd Gold Cup triumph.