2022 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle Tips

Racing fans are running out of superlatives when it comes to describing Honeysuckle. The mare returns to Fairyhouse twelve months after obliging in the 2021 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, with an eight-length win over Ronald Pump taking place on that occasion. Rachael Blackmore will be reunited with a horse that has since landed three notable wins.

The victory in the Irish Champion Hurdle was achieved with a modicum of ease in early February, with Honeysuckle then rewarding her backers at 8/11 when landing a second Champion Hurdle and she was then able to win the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle. In short, she is bombproof.

However, State Man is the new challenger and the five-year-old looks to be a dangerous contender who could upset the applecart. The horse enjoyed a recent outing when claiming the spoils at Punchestown when beating stablemate Sharjah by a comfortable margin, with the runner having previously won the Champion Novice Hurdle at the same track.

Sir Gerhard could also be ready to take his chance, with the horse having racked up a spate of wins including the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on 16 March 2022. The fact that the horse was beaten into third in a Novices’ Hurdle the following month at Punchestown casts doubt on whether he will be the one to lower the colours of Honeysuckle.

Can Anyone Beat Honeysuckle This Season?

We know that Honeysuckle is a talented mare and she is now seven-years-old and still unbeaten. The way in which the Henry De Bromhead-trained charge claimed a sizeable victory in the 2021 Champion Hurdle marks her out as the best two mile hurdler in the land and this will be a trip over two miles and four furlongs.

It will be a seasonable debut for a horse whose final act of the previous campaign was to win the Irish Champion Hurdle, with Honeysuckle currently available at 8/11 and that price might shorten if all is reported to be well in the stables. There is the big question over whether the mare will act over the longer distance.

Klassical Dream Second Favourite for Hatton’s Grace Hurdle

Willie Mullins saw Klassical Dream return to the winners’ enclosure when winning the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle over three miles at the end of April. The seven-year-old had previously been out of action for well over a year, with the horse’s previous comeback having fallen flat.

However, we shouldn’t forget that the horse was the winner of the 2019 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with the runner having then won the Irish Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and we could see the horse prove to be the best in the field on the stamina front after winning over three miles a few months ago.

Who Are the Other Hatton’s Grace Hurdle Betting Favourites?

Abacadabras is the third favourite in the 2021 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle betting market, with the Gordon Elliott-trained runner having fallen in the 2021 Champion Hurdle and the Gigginstown horse has fourteen lengths to find on Honeysuckle after finishing fourth in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

Previously to this, there was a victory over two miles and four furlongs in the Betway Aintree Hurdle which suggests that there could be a bright performance in this race and perhaps Abacadabras is the best each-way shout.

There are lots of other horses trading at the 10/1 mark and that includes Saldier and Latest Exhibition. The former was well short of the required standard when finishing seventh in the 2021 Champion Hurdle, although there was a victory in the Galway Hurdle in July and he was recently successful at Tipperary.

Latest Exhibition was sent off as favourite to win the Irish Grand National and he finished in fourth place, with the horse previously finishing second to Monkfish in the Flogas Novice Chase.