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Latest OWNER'S DREAM
Kenny Alexander eyeing Champion Hurdle bid with 'dream come true' Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle: unbeaten mare faces her biggest challenge at Leopardstown
Patrick McCann
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By Peter Scargill
6:23PM, JAN 28 2020
Honeysuckle faces her "judgement day" on Saturday when she tackles the Grade 1 PCI Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown with victory likely to earn her a shot at the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival rather than the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle.
Owner Kenny Alexander, whose buccaneering career as GVC Holdings chief executive has helped the company – which owns Ladbrokes Coral among other brands – become one of the biggest players in the gambling sector, believes his unbeaten mare, who he describes as a "dream come true", will have earned her place in the Champion Hurdle should she win at the weekend.
Read: GVC hails 'excellent' 2019 as annual earnings near £680 million
He said: "Six weeks ago I didn't care what anyone said, she was going for the mares' race. My idea was I just want to win a race [at the Cheltenham Festival], I'd love that to happen, so the thoughts were to go for the mares' race on that.
"Ultimately, I'll go along with what the trainer says, but as it gets closer to the date and I look at the Champion Hurdle picture and with it not being that clear, along with the mares' race not being a penalty kick at all, if she wins on Saturday, or goes damn close, you know what, maybe she deserves to have a crack at the Champion.
"I might never have a winner at the festival but I'm pretty sure she's the only horse who I may ever own who's good enough to run in a Champion Hurdle and have a chance."
Honeysuckle: second favourite for the Champion Hurdle and Mares' Hurdle
Alan Crowhurst
Trained by Henry de Bromhead, Honeysuckle is unbeaten in six starts over hurdles, most recently when winning the Grade 1 Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last month over two and a half miles.
The six-year-old, who is second favourite for the Champion Hurdle at 7-1 and the Mares' Hurdle at 9-4, drops back in trip to two miles this weekend and will be taking on the likes of Sharjah and Klassical Dream.
As such, Alexander admits the Irish Champion Hurdle will be his star mare's biggest challenge, but is confident she can prove a formidable opponent to her rivals.
He said: "She's in good nick and all ready to go for what is her biggest test by some way. She's been very impressive and has won everything she's won relatively easily, so this is a massive step up and it's going to be judgement day for her to see how good she really is.
"If she gets beat it's not the end of the world but I'm obviously desperately keen for her to win and I think she will win. I think Henry's quietly confident about her chances too."
Kenny Alexander: excited to see his mare competing at the weekend
Kathleen Sarg
Honeysuckle on Tuesday was one of 11 horses left in the Irish Champion Hurdle, with the most notable absentee being Envoi Allen, who remains engaged in the two Grade 1 novice hurdles, and the chance to have a mare competing in the best races is something Alexander is relishing.
"For someone like me who is a big National Hunt enthusiast it's a dream come true to have a horse like her," Alexander, who will have Honeysuckle as part of his broodmare band in the future, said.
"I've watched horses like Annie Power and Apple's Jade and thought one day I'd love to own a horse as good as that. She's not achieved anything like they have but potentially it's very exciting to have a mare as good as her."
FIRST PUBLISHED 7:15PM, JAN 28 2020
If she wins on Saturday, or goes damn close, you know what, maybe she deserves to have a crack at the Champion Hurdle
"I might never have a winner at the festival but I'm pretty sure she's the only horse who I may ever own who's good enough to run in a Champion Hurdle and have a chance."
Summing up why the whole argument that Mares should run against Mares to help support the Mares programme and that's why she'll run in the Mares hurdle is absolute bullshit.
It's about the opposition, the race prestige and your chances of winning.
Owners are in this game cos they're dreamers (mostly).
"I might never have a winner at the festival but I'm pretty sure she's the only horse who I may ever own who's good enough to run in a Champion Hurdle and have a chance."
Summing up why the whole argument that Mares should run against Mares to help support the Mares programme and that's why she'll run in the Mares hurdle is absolute bullshit.
It's about the opposition, the race prestige and your chances of winning.
Owners are in this game cos they're dreamers (mostly).
Worth putting here (as well as my antepost thread) just for the laugh. Rip it apart.
Some say there's a fine line between stupidity and Genius.
After backing BDD at big prices already for the Champion hurdle on betfair, then seeing her not entered, and subsequently taken out of the list on betfair.
She's popped up again.
So have added her again 0.5pt 230-1.
The best Mare he's ever trained he said.
If Honeysuckle wins at the weekend and beats Sharjah easily ??
What would you do if you were Willie ??
(probably just run BDD in the Mares )
Or would it grate on him a bit, that the up and coming De Bromhead mare is favourite for champion hurdle and Hendersons (sexually abused) Mare is second favourite ??
Worth a punt at those prices.
If she was supplemented what price does she go ???
Worth putting here (as well as my antepost thread) just for the laugh. Rip it apart.
Some say there's a fine line between stupidity and Genius.
After backing BDD at big prices already for the Champion hurdle on betfair, then seeing her not entered, and subsequently taken out of the list on betfair.
She's popped up again.
So have added her again 0.5pt 230-1.
The best Mare he's ever trained he said.
If Honeysuckle wins at the weekend and beats Sharjah easily ??
What would you do if you were Willie ??
(probably just run BDD in the Mares )
Or would it grate on him a bit, that the up and coming De Bromhead mare is favourite for champion hurdle and Hendersons (sexually abused) Mare is second favourite ??
Worth a punt at those prices.
If she was supplemented what price does she go ???
There's another point to note here too... she's owned by "Switch Switchy", remember Vautour?!
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