Honeysuckle News: If you backed her for the Champion Hurdle you need to read this 😳

Honeysuckle has been cut from 5-1 into a general 2-1 chance with most firms for the Mares’ Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival over the weekend. This is down to the fact that Henry de Bromhead, who was interviewed over the weekend, stated that his star mare could end up swerving the Champion Hurdle for that race in March.

De Bromhead said: “We can look at the Mares’ Hurdle as well, that’s always another option [for Honeysuckle]. It would be very much on my mind. My job is to try and find the race she can win. That’s what I have to do.

“Now if connections want to do something else I’ll wholeheartedly do that as well. We’ll see, that’s all a long way away and everybody still has to get there. The Irish Champion Hurdle will be next and let’s see how we go.

“She’s older now, but I thought she ran really well at Fairyhouse. I’m obviously disappointed she got beaten, but she’s back in one piece. She’s in mighty form and it’s bonus territory now.”

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Why was she beat in the Hatton’s Grace?

Turned over at long odds on in the Hatton’s Grace, de Bromhead thinks that the ground had its part to play and he said: “I’m not sure it [the Hatton’s Grace run] was that much below what she’s done in the race before. I thought between the second-last and the last she had it put to bed and I just wonder whether she was found out a bit stamina-wise on the softer ground.

“She’s brilliant and she owes us nothing. We’re in bonus territory with her, it’s incredible what she’s done and we’ve had a lot of fun with her, and I don’t think it’s finished yet.”

Honeysuckle has been eased out to 10s in places for the Champion Hurdle off the back of these comments. As a consequence, Constitution is now nearly an unbackable price, while there has been each way support for State Man.

If you back any of our selections you can watch them live on the free Racing Post app or racingpost.com. Simply log in to one of your bookmaker accounts and click ‘Watch live’ on the racecards.

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