Dublin Racing Festival: Honeysuckle bids to return to winning ways in Irish Champion Hurdle

There will surely be no popular winner at this year's Dublin Racing Festival than Honeysuckle if she can raise the roof at Leopardstown for a fourth time in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle.

Henry de Bromhead’s superstar mare might have claimed the Grade One contest in each of the past three years, as well as registering back-to-back wins in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, but for only the second time in her career the market makes her a marginal underdog.

The reason the betting is headed by the Willie Mullins-trained State Man, winner of the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown and Leopardstown’s Matheson Hurdle this winter, is because for the first time in 17-race career to date Honeysuckle tasted defeat when chasing a fourth Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse last month.

While disappointed to see her unbeaten record come to an end, connections of the nine-year-old are from despondent ahead of her return to action, with owner Kenny Alexander’s racing manager Peter Molony of the view that she is still the one to beat.

He said: "We’re excited and always a bit nervous when she runs. It’s no different this time really.

"We’re telling ourselves that now she’s been beaten it takes a bit of pressure off, but I’m not sure it actually does. I think it’s only the second time in her life that she hasn’t been favourite, the other time being when she beat Benie Des Dieux in the Mares’ Hurdle in Cheltenham three years ago.

"I think she’s still the one to beat. Willie’s two (State Man and Vauban) look very talented, exciting young horses coming up to challenge, but Honeysuckle is the reigning champion.

"There seems to be magnificent support behind her, which is great. People love nothing more than a champion who has been defeated and comes