The PCI Irish Champion Hurdle: Runner-by-runner guide to all the contenders

The first-day highlight of the Dublin Racing Festival is nearly upon us and 10 have been declared for Saturday’s six-figure prize.

The great Hurricane Fly – five-time winner of this race - was the last victor to subsequently land the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2013 and Sharjah and Honeysuckle look the likeliest contenders to emulate the feat this time, and both are priced at single figures in a wide-open field at the Festival this year.

We should mention the ground at Leopardstown at this stage, with drying conditions turning the ground to yielding to soft on Wednesday afternoon. The forecast is mostly dry before Saturday and no selective watering is planned for the hurdles course, unlike the chase track. Bear in mind we are likely to be in for decent conditions here.

Here is a guide to all the contenders plus a verdict ahead of what is sure to be an informative contest.

Trainer: Henry de Bromhead. Official rating: 158. Odds: 11-8.

Will the star mare extend her unbeaten record in her biggest assignment so far?

Her engine and ability are clear and the six-year-old landed Grade One honours against the boys last time in the Hatton’s Grace. She also gets the 7lb sex allowance, a significant advantage. Strictly on the ratings, she is the one to beat here with that weight concession.

However, she drops back to the minimum distance for only the second time – the former occasion in Grade Three company against fellow mares last year. The forecast better ground could accentuate this year’s race as a speed test and her jumping does not scream premier two-mile hurdler.

You get the feeling connections are coming here for the preferable timing before Cheltenham rather believing this is an ideal test for their mare.

Having said that, she has proven she can act on all types of ground and her trainer has a good record in this race, albeit from a small sample. Henry de Bromhead has only saddled four runners in the Irish Champion Hurdle but has won it with Sizing Europe (2008) and Petit Mouchoir (2017). His runners have performed 133 per cent above market expectation.

One for thing’s for sure – if Honeysuckle puts Sharjah in his place on his likely preferred ground, she will surely have a go at the Champion Hurdle rather than rock up in the Mares’ Hurdle in March.

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official rating: 162. Odds: 2-1.

This seven-year-old is the highest-rated in the field and is belatedly getting the credit he deserves having put his underwhelming return in the Morgiana behind him with a ready success in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown last time – his third Grade One triumph.

Sharjah has conditions to suit and boasts a genuine turn of foot. Patrick Mullins may retain the successful partnership and he will be mindful to keep tabs on housemate Rachael Blackmore aboard Honeysuckle; the mare tends to turn the screw in the final third and move clear from her rivals in the closing stages. Will Sharjah keep tabs and utilise that change of gear?

While Sharjah will go off at his shortest price since his initial successes in novice company for Mullins, there still looks mileage in 2-1 quotes as a slick jumping and proven two-mile hurdler in good heart this term.

Patrick Mullins recently told Luck On Sunday that Sharjah is in great form -which you can watch again below - while the Closutton string is going very nicely.

_KLASSICAL DREAM _

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official rating: 160. Odds: 7-2.

Is now a non-runner.

Trainer: Henry de Bromhead. Official rating: 155. Odds: 20-1.

Petit Mouchoir is one of three former Irish Champion Hurdle winners in the field and that victory three years ago was the nine-year-old’s last success over hurdles.

This renewal is deeper and Petit Mouchoir is not getting any younger, but he’s recaptured good form under customary forward-going tactics this season, placing second behind both Saldier in the Morgiana and Sharjah in the Matheson last time out. He could also get an uncontested lead here.

He is the stable’s second-string and the absence of Rachael Blackmore is a negative for his chance, while he needs rivals to underperform here for win purposes.

However, his efforts this term are better than the 20-1 quotes suggest and he’s a decent place contender at the prices.

Trainer: Jessica Harrington. Official rating: 159. Odds: 20-1.

The three-time Grade One victor landed this race two years ago and was runner-up last year.

The ten-year-old is set to make his reappearance here in a campaign geared towards the spring festivals and, as more of a stayer, this test is likely to prove on the sharp side without the additional benefit of race fitness.

Harrington has recently reported Supasundae in good form, while the profile of this horse is remarkably similar to her former Irish Champion Hurdle victor Macs Joy.

Like Supasundae, Macs Joy won the Irish Champion Hurdle on his first try (in 2005) and was runner-up the following year. On his third attempt, he was also making his seasonal reappearance before placing third behind Hardy Eustace at 10-1.

You get the impression connections would settle for a similar outcome this time with an encouraging, staying-on effort pointing to a starting berth in the Champion Hurdle.

Trainer: Jane Williams. Official rating: 151. Odds: 25-1.

While British representation is not strong at this year’s Dublin Racing Festival, fair play to connections for having a go with Monsieur Lecoq on this steep rise in class.

This also looks a fact-finding mission with a view to potential Champion Hurdle claims but the six-year-old is up against it here.

The six-year-old is three from 12 over hurdles, with his career highlight victory in the Welsh Champion Hurdle from a mark of 138 at the start of the season. Connections are on a mission here to see how good their horse is with a view to spring assignments.

He handles testing conditions well and he will not get those here. Given the forecast, it would not be a surprise if connections bypassed this race for something more feasible closer to home on more favourable ground.

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official rating: 148. Odds: 33-1.

The seven-year-old looks distinctly third-best of the likely Willie Mullins trio and requires a big step forward from his return in the Matheson Hurdle at this track last month.

It’s no secret plenty from Closutton have needed their initial run and that was his first start outside of novice company, but the performance was underwhelming all the same in a race that fell apart to some degree with Klassical Dream’s serious early blunder and Coeur Sublime making a noise.

Aramon was never really travelling and under pressure at an early stage; he has it to prove now in the big league.

Conditions should be to his liking though, and his career-best effort came over this course and distance, running away with Grade One honours in novice company 13 months ago. That race wasn’t great for the level, but he made quite the visual impression that day.

He’s entitled to improve, but he’ll need to and considerably at that. His official rating puts him nearly a stone shy of the principal protagonists here.

Trainer: Gavin Cromwell. Official rating: 146. Odds: 33-1.

A lightly-raced and improving eight-year-old, Darver Star landed a Wexford handicap hurdle from a mark of 106 nine months ago and has enjoyed a rapid rise since.

He’s had quite a time of it in the last six months, landing four in a row including Listed honours at Limerick before finishing third in the Roya Bond last time behind Envoi Allen and Abacadabras at Fairyhouse.

That was his last chance to run in novice company and connections chanced their arm, but he posted a career-best there even if he was well-placed in a steadily-run race.

Darver Star is a two-and-a-half-mile performer and shaped similarly in the Royal Bond, hitting a slight flat spot approaching the final flight but picking up nicely to finish best of the rest behind two high-class novices.

A quick two miles would be a concern here, as well as a first try outside of senior company in this grade. Connections have suggested this is a fact-finding mission to see whether they have a Champion Hurdle outsider or a more serious contender for a Festival handicap.

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official rating: 147. Odds: 40-1.

A decent juvenile in a non-standout crop a few years ago, he is a Grade 2 winner in that company and has landed two of his nine hurdle starts for Mullins.

The six-year-old was 13-8 favourite for his return on New Year’s Eve but Paul Townend reported his mount to never be going and not enjoying himself in second behind Irish National winner Burrows Saint at Punchestown.

Rachael Blackmore rode her rivals to sleep from the front on that occasion and Saglawy made ground behind tired rivals from off the pace, jumping quite slickly in the closing stages.

He’s more of a type for intermediate trips and doesn’t have the class to seriously figure here on all known evidence; the timing of this race works well before potential handicap assignments at the spring festivals.

Trainer: Brendan Murphy. Official rating: 64 (Flat). Odds: 500-1.

A maiden in ten starts under Rules, Nicky Henderson couldn’t win a novice or maiden hurdle with this one in three starts last spring and 500-1 quotes tell the story.

Brendan Murphy took out his licence towards the end of 2018 and is yet to have a jumps runner. A former travelling head-lad to Willie Mullins, the trainer has sent out three Flat winners to date.

This race revolves around Honeysuckle. She is unbeaten, but how good is she? Her unblemished record is factored into her price while not really giving us a precise measure of her true ability as a racehorse.

This is clearly a very good mare and her Grade One win against geldings last time certainly puts meat on the bones, but that contest wasn’t a great one for the level and dropping down in trip on likely decent ground presents a new test.

SHARJAH is the proven one in many ways and appeals more at the prices as a three-time Grade One winner who will relish this test sitting in behind a host of likely prominent racers here. He is three from three in senior Grade One assignments on either good or yielding ground and his trainer is in excellent form.

Supasundae can shape well on his belated return and offer hope for Cheltenham, while Petit Mouchoir is fancied to go well again and can place at the top-level for the third time this term.