Will Epatante be ready for take-off again? Graeme Rodway on the Fighting Fifth

Saturday: 3.15 Newcastle
Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m | 4yo+ | ITV/Sky

Turn the clock back 12 months and superlatives like jet-propelled, aeroplane and flying machine were being bandied about after Epatante produced an emphatic display in her first Fighting Fifth, but not everyone thought they had witnessed a true champion in full flight.

Racing Post handicapper Steve Mason gave Epatante an RPR of just 154 – 9lb lower than her career-best – for last year's victory, citing a moderate time and the close proximity of Ribble Valley (officially rated 147) in third and Voix Du Reve (145) in fourth as reasons to be cautious.

Mason was proved right to be wary because Epatante didn't win another race last season. She was beaten at 1-5 by Silver Streak in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton before twice chasing home Honeysuckle and Sharjah in the Champion Hurdles at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

Back problems were given as a reason for her defeat in the Christmas Hurdle and this usually slick jumper definitely hasn't been as efficient over her hurdles since those issues emerged.

Her jumping has let her down at the most important times in her races. She made a bad mistake at the third-last when beaten at Kempton, then received the in-running comment of 'not fluent' at both the fourth-last and third-last flights in Cheltenham's Champion Hurdle.

'Not fluent last' appeared in the race comment when she finished third in the Punchestown equivalent and it appears this flying machine has been grounded. The Fighting Fifth will tell us whether that grounding is temporary or permanent and let's hope she is ready for takeoff once again.

Monmiral's career is only just getting off the ground, but the four-year-old was on an upward trajectory last season, culminating in a wide-margin victory over Adagio at Aintree in April.

Adagio gave that run some substance when second in the Greatwood at Cheltenham off top weight this month and last season's juvenile form has generally stood up well this winter.

It is often said that four-year-olds struggle to make an impact at the top level after their juvenile season, but that hasn't necessarily been the case in this race over the last ten years.

Ten four-year-olds have competed in the Fighting Fifth since 2011 and they beat a combined total of 55 per cent of their rivals in that time. That is better than the record of five-year-olds (50 per cent) and seven-year-olds, who have beaten just 34 per cent home. Epatante is seven, so you're going wrong if your reason for preferring her is on age grounds.

Age is a key point for the rest of the field because Sceau Royal, Not So Sleepy and Voix Du Reve, who were all beaten by Epatante last year, are nine-year-olds and only two horses that age ran in the last ten seasons. Irving was second in 2017 and Lady Buttons fourth in 2019.

The eight-year-old Silver Streak completes the line-up and maybe he is the right age. The five horses aged eight since 2011 beat 59 per cent of rivals, with Irving the latest winner in 2016.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

'We've got to get back on track and hopefully this is it'

After an unbeaten 2019-20 campaign, Epatante arrived for last year's Fighting Fifth as the queen of the two-mile hurdling division.

A year on, that crown has been firmly removed and suddenly last year's emphatic Champion Hurdle winner is on a mission to prove she can still be a match for the best.

After breezing home in a bizarre Fighting Fifth 12 months ago, Epatante was then shocked at odds of 1-5 by Silver Streak in the Christmas Hurdle and, although far from disgraced when finishing third to Honeysuckle at Cheltenham and Punchestown, she did not perform with the zest of before.

Nonetheless, hopes are high at Nicky Henderson's Seven Barrows yard that she can rise to the top again.

"She's in good form and schooled very well on Thursday, looking like her old self," said Henderson. "But we've got to get back on track and hopefully this is it. I just hope the weather is all right as they have all sorts forecast."

Henderson and jockey Aidan Coleman are in agreement that this year's contest is a stronger affair than 12 months ago.

Coleman said: "I'm really excited to be getting back on her. Unfortunately, things didn't go to plan after the Fighting Fifth last year and we're hoping she can put up a similar performance to that.

"Sceau Royal and Silver Streak are proven Grade 1 horses and then you have Monmiral, who is something of an unknown quantity. It looks a high-quality race."

'The more it rains the better'

Five of last year's six Fighting Fifth contenders are back for more and the one fresh face in the pack is the unbeaten Monmiral, a hugely exciting prospect for Paul Nicholls.

Paul Nicholls at home with MonmiralCredit: Edward Whitaker

The champion trainer is hoping the rain will boost Monmiral's prospects of landing another top-level contest.

"It's tough for four-year-olds in this race and we're dipping our toe in the water with him. He won on good to soft at Aintree but the more it rains, the better for him," he said.

"He's unbeaten but this is a different kettle of fish going up against Sceau Royal and Epatante, who's got a bit to prove I suppose."

Can Sceau Royal continue King's superb year?

Sceau Royal's proficiency over both hurdles and fences matches the dual-purpose talents of his trainer Alan King, who says the seven-time Graded winner has looked "better than ever" during a superb start to the campaign.

Having finished an unlucky fifth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's nine-year-old returned to hurdles with victory over Silver Streak at Kempton last month before landing a third Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.

Sceau Royal: completed an Elite Hurdle hat-trickCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

King said: "Sceau Royal's been a star for us and is in a great place just now. He looked better than ever when winning at Kempton and Wincanton and also looked in good order in his last piece of work.

"Epatante will be hard to beat, but I'm very happy with our fellow. I hope Newcastle misses the rain as he's so much better on a decent surface."

Silver Streak and Not So Sleepy meet again

Connections of Not So Sleepy and Silver Streak hardly need reminding of the farcical scenes at the beginning of this race last year, but both are hopeful of erasing those bad memories with their experienced hurdlers.

In a dramatic opening to the contest, Not So Sleepy jinked right before the first and unseated Paddy Brennan, before carrying out the luckless Silver Streak at the next.

The grey Silver Streak is carried out by the riderless Not So Sleepy in last year's raceCredit: Andrew R Parker

"He just got a bit shocked last year and he actually won the race, quickening up past Epatante well!" said Not So Sleepy's trainer Hughie Morrison.

"He has to raise his game from Aintree but his performance in the Champion Hurdle gives us hope. We weren't far behind Epatante there and were in front of Silver Streak. We're looking forward to the rain and lots of it, and if he’s on his game we hope he'll run a very good race."

Silver Streak's trainer Evan Williams brushed off the incident at the time and was rewarded for his patience when Silver Streak claimed Grade 1 glory for the first time in the Christmas Hurdle a month later.

"Everything is grand with Silver Streak," said Williams. "He's heading up there in great form but it's going to be a very difficult race to win. You can make a case for pretty much the whole field, as should be the case for a Grade 1 race, and hopefully our lad can put his best foot forward."

Voix Du Reve is another survivor from last year to be returning to Newcastle and is back over hurdles after finishing last of seven over fences on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham last month.

His trainer Iain Jardine said: "He seems well at home and is as good as he can be. He ran a good race in this last year, but it won’t be easy for him and we’re just hoping he runs a nice race. Anything more than that is a bonus."
Reporting by Sam Hendry

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