Honeysuckle entering Istabraq and Dawn Run territory, say Irish riding legends

Charlie Swan and Tony Mullins, synonymous with two of the most iconic jumpers of all time in Istabraq and Dawn Run, believe Honeysuckle is close to being in the same league as those greats following her record-breaking third Irish Champion Hurdle triumph.

No horse had ever won their first 14 races over hurdles before Sunday, when Honeysuckle joined the mighty Istabraq and Hurricane Fly as the only horses to win the race on more than two occasions.

An audience of 108,000 tuned in to RTE for the superstar mare's six-and-a-half-length triumph under Rachael Blackmore, drawing 12 per cent of all those watching television in Ireland at the time. It is understood to be the biggest terrestrial audience for any Dublin Racing Festival fixture since the meeting's inception in 2018.