WILL THIS FORGOTTEN HORSE PLAY A PART IN IRISH CHAMPION HURDLE?

15:15 Leopardstown

Perhaps the biggest race of the day doesn't come on UK soil but in fact over at Leopardstown where we're likely to have a massive clue as to who takes home the Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham in March. Honeysuckle is the favourite and rightly so as the Henry De Bromhead trained mare remains unbeaten in her nine race career to date. Receiving a handy 7lbs weight allowance from all five of all her rivals this afternoon all things point towards yet another repeat success. If she wins, I imagine it'll be all systems go with a crack the Champion Hurdle rather than the Mares Hurdle which she won last year. Despite her having everything staked in her favour I just get a niggle that she's worth taking on with this years renewal a little stronger than the one she contested last year.

Sharjah won the Matheson Hurdle at Christmas and will certainly make the frame although it's interesting to note that he has never won a race in the last 5 months of a jumps season (Jan, Feb, March, April, May) a statistic that doesn't leave me with a whole heap of confidence.

Saint Roi was only fourth behind Sharjah previously and has some questions to answer along with Abracadabras finishing even further back (although it must be noted Gordon Elliott's yard was reported to have had a bug at the time) so you would expect some improvement from the Gigginstown runner.

The one that really interests me however is Saldier. A horse that many will have forgotten having suffered with Injuries the last couple of seasons. He could only manage sixth here last time out but that came after a near 400 day absence so I'm sure will have improved greatly for that run. He was pulling hard and seemed way too keen that day so can be forgiven his last performance. I'm hoping that return should have blown away any cobwebs and a huge race may not be too far out of the realms of possibility.

Saldier has beaten the likes of Sharjah and supreme novice winner Klassical Dream in the past so is clearly a talented horse and has the speed to go with it. At around 12/1 I think he's perhaps a bit overpriced and although not a likely winner could do much better than many expect.

SALDIER (E/W)

written by Luke Tucker