The 2021 Cheltenham Festival begins with Honeysuckle bidding to dethrone Epatante in a mouthwatering clash for the Unibet Champion Hurdle. The market for the feature event on day one of the Festival is dominated by the two top-class mares, with Henry de Bromhead’s Honeysuckle just about edging favouritism off the back of a scintillating display in last month’s Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Epatante provided trainer Nicky Henderson with his eighth Champion Hurdle success last season - and owner JP McManus with his ninth. She looked as good as ever on her seasonal reappearance in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in November, but returns to the Cotswolds with something to prove after suffering a shock defeat when bidding for back-to-back wins in Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Willie Mullins runs last year’s runner-up Sharjah, as well as Saldier and intriguing French recruit James Du Berlais. The former has 19 lengths to make up on Honeysuckle on their meeting in the Irish Champion, a race he also disappointed in last season before raising his game at Cheltenham.
The Prestbury Park track would normally be packed to the rafters for its mid-March showpiece, with racegoers from Ireland and Britain - but this year coronavirus restrictions mean no crowds of punters and only participants and essential personnel in attendance.
The famous roar that always greets the first race will be absent, and the normally jubilant scenes in the winner’s enclosure inevitably muted. There is still plenty of action to look forward to and you can follow all of it throughout the afternoon below:
