Henderson growing in confidence with Epatante as he sends Honeysuckle warning

Nicky Henderson has warned Honeysuckle's connections that "all good things come to an end" as he dares to dream about upsetting the Irish wondermare with a revitalised Epatante in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.

The six-time champion trainer entertained the media at his famous Seven Barrows base on Monday, with Shishkin, the 4-7 favourite for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, taking centre stage.

And Henderson is growing increasingly hopeful of a championship double given the form shown by Epatante, who gave the trainer an eighth victory in the Champion Hurdle in 2020 but was no match for the unbeaten Honeysuckle last year.

Epatante was also third to Henry de Bromhead's superstar in Punchestown's Champion Hurdle last April, but a full summer MOT and "lots of massages" mean the eight-year-old is back to something like her best, according to Henderson.

JP McManus's mare dead-heated in the Fighting Fifth before winning the Christmas Hurdle, and the trainer said: "I thought she was great in the Christmas Hurdle and she really did look like her old self.

"She was hurdling like she used to and tanked Nico [de Boinville] into the race. She was good, but we've got one big problem in front of us.

Champion Hurdle entries and betting

"However, Epatante has been in very good form, totally different shape from last year, when it all went a bit pear-shaped. There are others, a new horse [Teahupoo] came into it over the weekend, and there's Appreciate It. I was hoping he'd have taken on Honeysuckle the other day as if anything was going to give her a test it was him.

"She looked very good and will be hard to beat, but I do think we're at least back to where Epatante was when she won her Champion Hurdle. That might not have been the strongest field in the world, I'd be the first to admit, but I think we're back in the right place."

Honeysuckle, on a winning run of 14, is a general 4-9 for the Champion Hurdle on March 15, while Epatante is as big as 10-1 with the sponsors.

"She might be under the radar, but she's not under our radar," Henderson stressed. "We're getting very good vibes. Her form this season is good, but it's the way she's been doing it that I've liked; she's sharp.

"Honeysuckle has looked spectacular the whole way through. You can't fault her in any way and it doesn't look like there's a chink in her armour, but we've all had horses who have looked like that and all good things do come to an end, like we had with Altior, who got to 19. You can never say something is unbeatable. It's very rare a horse is unbeatable."

Shishkin: rematch with Energumene in Champion Chase eagerly awaitedCredit: Ryan Pierse (Getty Images)

Shishkin beat Energumene in a thriller in Ascot's Clarence House last month, but Henderson is taking nothing for granted when it comes to the rematch with Willie Mullins' heavyweight.

"There's no way he can be a banker," Henderson said of last year's Arkle winner, who also landed the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in 2020.

"Ascot was fantastic and everybody loved it, bar Willie and me. It was great we came out in front, but there wasn't much in it and he had us in trouble. Shishkin is a tough horse and Willie's going to chuck in Chacun Pour Soi, whom you don't want to underestimate. I know they'll say he doesn't travel or do this or that, but he can still be a big player.

"Going left-handed possibly helps us, but there's not much in it. The Clarence House doesn't seem to have left a mark."

Henderson would assume the outright record of seven Champion Chase successes if Shishkin strikes and emulates the stable's previous star two-milers Sprinter Sacre and Altior.

Champion Chase entries and betting

The trainer added: "In his jumping, he hasn't got the exuberance of a Sprinter Sacre or Altior in the way he doesn't stand out and stand off a fence miles away, but you hardly notice he leaves the ground.

"He's boop, and then gone. He's very quick from A to B and you don't notice it. Sprinter and Altior both had enormous scope. This horse has bags of scope, but he crosses a fence in a very different manner and it's very efficient. He's grown up a lot this season and grew upwards and outwards over the summer. It was very noticeable.

"In their era Sprinter and Altior probably were bankers, but we've definitely got a fight on our hands. You'd like to think the hill will play to his strengths. Willie says he doesn't know how he'll beat us, but I think he's playing games there.

"I think he's looking forward to having another crack and I don't think he's that frightened. I'd have loved to have won at Ascot by 20 lengths and it was a great race – the one everybody wanted – but it hasn't spoiled the Champion Chase. There's very much room for round two."

Unibet Champion Hurdle (March 15)

Unibet: 8-15 Honeysuckle, 4 Appreciate It, 8 Teahupoo, 10 Epatante, 16 Zanahiyr, 20 Adagio, 25 bar

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