Talking Horses: Honeysuckle can bloom at Leopardstown

The punters very much had the upper hand at last year’s Dublin Racing Festival, with seven favourites and a second-favourite winning the eight Grade One events, and Honeysuckle (3.00) will be a short price to retain her unbeaten record in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday, on what promises to be another afternoon when market leaders dominate.

Rachael Blackmore’s mount will set off at around 1-3 and and while this is her first meeting with Zanahiyr, one of last season’s leading juveniles, he has 6lb to find on the official ratings and Henry de Bromhead’s runner also gets a 7lb mares’ allowance.

Saint Roi, meanwhile, was 21 lengths behind Honeysuckle 12 months ago and anything other than a 14th straight win for Honeysuckle will be as much a surprise as it is a disappointment.

Leopardstown 1.20 Galopin Des Champs could hardly have done any more when making his chase debut at the Christmas meeting here, winning by 22 lengths with any amount in hand.

Musselburgh 1.32 Inca Prince has made rapid progress since joining Ruth Jefferson in the autumn and would be a match for likely favourite Impulsive One if reproducing the form of either of his recent wins.

Leopardstown 1.50 The bare form of the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December gives Chacun Pour Soi plenty to find with Greaneteen, but he is likely to be a different proposition back on home turf.

Musselburgh 2.05 Little to choose here between promising novices Since Day One and Restandbethankful, but Donald McCain’s runner remains unbeaten over hurdles and may have the greater scope for improvement.

Leopardstown 2.25 It is difficult to find a runner without some sort of chance in this fearsomely competitive handicap chase. Minella Times, last season’s Grand