HONEYSUCKLE can successfully defend her crown in the Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.30pm), the feature on the opening day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
County Waterford handler Henry De Bromhead’s star mare was victorious in the Grade One contest on day one last year, helping Rachael Blackmore become the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle – and start off a spectacular month for the Tipperary-born rider.
And they can bring up back-to-back victories back at Prestbury Park.
De Bromhead’s mare Honeysuckle is unbeaten in 14 starts over hurdles, 10 at Grade One level. And since her superb six-and-a-half length success in last year's Champion Hurdle she has landed a third victory in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse and a third successive triumph in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
She now goes in search of a third Cheltenham Festival success – she also won the Mares' Hurdle over 2m4f in 2020.
A slick jumper, who invariably travels superbly, with a turn of foot there are just no flaws in Honeysuckle's armoury.
If there is one banker of the meeting, it's surely this mare. And although you won't get rich backing her, barring something going untoward, she is sure to stretch her unbeaten run to 15.
Willie Mullins' Appreciate It – who won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle last year – is clearly a talented individual. But not having run since that success, it would be a huge surprise if he got the better of Honeysuckle.
And that just won't happen.
Mullins has another formidable team heading to Prestbury Park and he could land another top trainers' trophy by the end of the week.
And his BLUE LORD, unbeaten in three starts over fences, can provide him with at least one winner on the opening day in the Grade One Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (2.10pm).
The seven-year-old is unbeaten in three starts over fences, including winning the Grade One Irish Arkle at Leopardstown. He probably wasn't at his peak when beating Gordon Elliott's Reviere D'etel by half a length in that victory. But he still came out on top and it is hard to see the runner-up reversing the form.
Blue Lord can improve again and deny one of the top British hopes, Alan King's Edwardstone, victory.
Irish trainer Mullins, as ever, has a big chance of victory in the opener to the Festival, the Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm) – but Nicky Henderson's CONSTITUTION HILL may deny him.
Henderson won this race with his two-mile chasing star Shishkin in 2020 and Constitution Hill looks to be cut from the cloth and can land this Grade One before potentially moving over fences in the future.
The five-year-old has impressed in his two starts – and two wins – over hurdles. He was very impressive when landing the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January and he sets the standard.
Stable-mate Jonbon, Mullins' duo – the similarly unbeaten Dysart Dynamo –and Kilcruit make it an exciting contest. But Constitition Hill may hold them all off to triumph.
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The Grade Three Ultima Handicap Chase (2.50pm) sees a number of Randox Grand National entrants - Lostintranslation, Noble Yeats and among them have their final prep run.
But it is Sam Thomas' OUR POWER, who is not entered at Aintree Racecourse, who can triumph.
The seven-year-old won at Huntingdon in January and was a fine third in the Coral Trophy at Kempton last month. Our Power can provide Britain with a winner on an opening day that could be dominated again by the Irish.
Irish trainer Elliott and amateur jockey Jamie Codd have excellent records in in the Grade Two Ukraine Appeal National Hunt Amateur Jockeys' Challenge Cup Novices’ Chase (5.30pm) and they can add to that with RUN WILD FRED.
Elliott has won the race four times and Codd on three occasions in the past – two of those were for the County Meath trainer (Cause Of Causes 2015 and Ravenhill 2020).
Run Wild Fred was second in the Irish Grand National last April and has two seconds and a victory – in the Troytown Handicap at Navan in November – so far this season.
The eight-year-old can land another win before most likely heading to Aintree for a crack at the Grand National.
Blackmore and De Bromhead can land a double on the first day at Cheltenham with TELMESOMETHINGGIRL in the Grade One Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Registered As The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle) (3.40pm); while the Paul Nolan's HMS SEAHORSE can win the Grade Three Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Registered as The Fred Winter) (4.50pm).
The four-year-old HMS Seahorse was formerly with Aidan O'Brien on the Flat and has well, winning at Fairyhouse last time on his third start over hurdles.
Wright Ones
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY ONE
1.30pm Constitution Hill
2.10pm Blue Lord
2.50pm Our Power (NAP)
3.30pm Honeysuckle
4.10pm Telmesomethinggirl
4.50pm HMS Seahorse
5.30pm Run Wild Fred
