Ante-post favourite Epatante is one of 36 entries for the G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday, 10 March, details of which are revealed today.

The two-mile hurdling championship is the highlight on Day One of The Festival™ presented by Magners and has a total prize fund of at least £450,000.

Epatante, the 3/1 market leader with Unibet, started her campaign with a smooth success in a limited handicap hurdle at Newbury in November and followed that up with an impressive victory in the G1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

Her trainer Nicky Henderson is the most successful handler in Unibet Champion Hurdle history with seven wins, while her owner J P McManus has won the race a record eight times.

If successful on 10 March, Epatante would become the fifth mare to claim Unibet Champion Hurdle honours, after Annie Power (2016), Flakey Dove (1994), Dawn Run (1984) and African Sister (1939).

Henderson's quintet of entries also features another G1-winning mare in Verdana Blue, Pentland Hills, the winner of last season's G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival, and G2 Unibet International Hurdle victor Call Me Lord.

Silver Streak finished third in the 2019 Unibet Champion Hurdle and has continued in fine form this season. After readily landing a Listed hurdle at Kempton Park in October, the seven-year-old finished third behind Cornerstone Lad (Micky Hammond) in the G1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on 30 November and then chased home Epatante at Kempton Park, when the five-length runner-up.

Trainer Evan Williams said: "Silver Streak is in good order and the Unibet Champion Hurdle is the target.

"It is likely that he will go straight there, though the Kingwell at Wincanton [15 February] is a possibility beforehand.

"He ran really well in the Christmas Hurdle and keeps running with credit in these big two-mile hurdles.

"With a bit of luck, hopefully he could be placed in the Champion Hurdle again."

Willie Mullins, who has captured the Unibet Champion Hurdle four times since 2011, accounts for four of the 16 Irish-trained contenders. His team includes the Susannah Ricci-owned pair of Saldier and Sharjah, who have both landed G1 contests in Ireland this season, plus the 2019 G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle victor Klassical Dream.

There are four novices among the entries, with two of them hailing from the stable of Gordon Elliott - G1 Sky Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite Abacadabras and last year's G1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero Envoi Allen. Royal Gait in 1992 is the most recent novice to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

Ireland's hand is strengthened further by unbeaten mare Honeysuckle (Henry de Bromhead), who secured the second G1 of her career in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on her latest start in December.

Other unexposed entries include progressive handicapper Not So Sleepy (Hughie Morrison), who bolted up in the G3 Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot in December, and recent Sandown Park runner-up Eldorado Allen (Colin Tizzard).

Unibet Champion Hurdle - Unibet prices:

3/1 Epatante

7/1 Saldier

8/1 Pentland Hills

9/1 Sharjah

10/1 Honeysuckle, Klassical Dream

12/1 Envoi Allen

16/1 Call Me Lord

25/1 Abacadabras, Coeur Sublime, Fusil Raffles, Not So Sleepy, Silver Streak

33/1 Thomas Darby, Verdana Blue

40/1 Apple's Jade, Ballyandy, Cornerstone Lad, Darasso, Petit Mouchoir

50/1 Eldorado Allen, Samcro

66/1 Felix Desjy, Quick Grabim, Thebannerkingrebel

100/1 Aramon, Darver Star, Elgin, Gumball, Le Patriote, Mengli Khan, Monsieur Lecoq, Pacify, Mohaayed, Nelson River

The Unibet Champion Hurdle

Grade 1, £450,000 Total Prize Fund. Cheltenham, 3.30pm, Tuesday, March 10, two miles and half a furlong (2m 87y). For four-year-olds and upwards who are allotted a rating of 130 or more by the senior BHA Head of Handicapping following a review of the horses entered and taking account of races run up to and including the day prior to confirmation - horses who are not qualified for a rating in GB, IRE or FR may also be entered (such horses may be eligible providing the Handicapper is satisfied that the horse's racecourse performances up to and including the day prior to confirmation would merit a minimum rating of 130 - the decision of the BHA Head of Handicapping shall be final). Weights: 4yo: 11st 2lb; 5yo+: 11st 10lb; fillies & mares allowed 7lb. Entries closed January 14 (36 entries). Scratchings deadline February 11, £22,500 supplementary stage & six-day confirmation stage March 4, final declaration 10.00am, March 8, maximum number of runners 26.

Horse	Age	Owner	Trainer
Abacadabras (FR)	6	Gigginstown House Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
Apple's Jade (FR)	8	Gigginstown House Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
Aramon (GER)	7	Aramon Syndicate	Willie Mullins IRE
Ballyandy	9	Options O Syndicate	Nigel Twiston-Davies
Call Me Lord (FR)	7	Simon Munir & Isaac Souede	Nicky Henderson
Coeur Sublime (IRE)	5	Chris Jones	Gordon Elliott IRE
Cornerstone Lad	6	Mrs B M Lofthouse	Micky Hammond
Darasso (FR)	7	J P McManus	Joseph O'Brien IRE
Darver Star (IRE)	8	SSP Number Twenty Two Syndicate	Gavin Cromwell IRE
Eldorado Allen (FR)	6	J P Romans & Terry Warner	Colin Tizzard
Elgin	8	Elite Racing Club	Alan King
Envoi Allen (FR)	6	Cheveley Park Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
Epatante (FR)	6	J P McManus	Nicky Henderson
Felix Desjy (FR)	7	Gigginstown House Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
Fusil Raffles (FR)	5	Simon Munir & Isaac Souede	Nicky Henderson
Gumball (FR)	6	Terry Warner	Philip Hobbs
Honeysuckle	6	K Alexander	Henry de Bromhead IRE
Klassical Dream (FR)	6	Mrs J Coleman	Willie Mullins IRE
Le Patriote (FR)	8	Canard Vert Racing Club	Dr Richard Newland
Mengli Khan (IRE)	7	Gigginstown House Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
Mohaayed	8	June Watts	Dan Skelton
Monsieur Lecoq (FR)	6	Jane Williams	Jane Williams
Nelson River	5	CCCP Syndicate	Tony Carroll
Not So Sleepy	8	Lady Blyth	Hughie Morrison
Pacify	8	The Duchess Of Cornwall & Chips Keswick	Jamie Snowden
Pentland Hills (IRE)	5	Owners Group 031	Nicky Henderson
Petit Mouchoir (FR)	9	Gigginstown House Stud	Henry de Bromhead IRE
Quick Grabim (IRE)	8	Mrs G S Worcester	Fergal O'Brien
Saldier (FR)	6	Susannah Ricci	Willie Mullins IRE
Samcro (IRE)	8	Gigginstown House Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
Sharjah (FR)	7	Susannah Ricci	Willie Mullins IRE
Silver Streak (IRE)	7	L Fell	Evan Williams
Supasundae	10	Ann & Alan Potts Limited	Jessica Harrington IRE
Thebannerkingrebel (IRE)	7	Sir Chips Keswick	Jamie Snowden
Thomas Darby (IRE)	7	Diana Whateley	Olly Murphy
Verdana Blue (IRE)	8	Doreen Tabor	Nicky Henderson

 

36 entries

16 Irish-trained