HONEYSUCKLE, a brilliant winner of the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, returns to Henry de Bromhead’s yard next week.

The mare has enjoyed a fine break, according to Peter Molony, who said: “She has been here (at Rathmore Stud) and she looks great. She had a really good break and we are very happy with her. She’s put on plenty of condition and I am too nervous to do any prep with her – I’ll leave that to the professionals and she will go straight back to Henry’s next week.”

Asked about plans for the season he stated: “We have had a chat about that, and the plan is that she’ll remain over hurdles for this season. She will have a similar route to last season and I’d imagine she will start off in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse, followed by the Irish Champion. After that, we can have a chat and see what route she’ll go after Christmas.

“We will also have to see how she’ll get on against the new crop of hurdlers this season. There were some particularly good novices last season, such as Envoi Allen. It’s an exciting time for everyone involved with her and she has really thrived during the summer and has put on a lot of condition.”

He added: “She has been here since early April and has enjoyed a really long break and will head back to Henry’s at some stage next week.”

Darver Star set for fences

One of the real success stories from last season was Darver Star and he is set to go novice chasing this season, according to Gavin Cromwell.

“He looks great and he is back with me a few weeks now. The plan is to go chasing with him and all is good with him. He had a good, long break and was out since he ran in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham,” stated Cromwell.

“He ran a cracker in that and he has always looked a chaser and, touch wood, he does jump very well. I have an eye on maybe starting him over fences at Listowel. but we’ll see how he is before then.

“We need a drop of rain before he goes anywhere, but if we get that and if all is good with him, Listowel is a possible starting point for him. He won down there last year and at the minute I would have thought that it will be around then, or sometime in October, when we get him back started.”

He added: “We had a great run with him last season and he was always a big, backward horse that was going to improve, but I don’t think anyone could have envisaged that he’d improve as much as he did.

“We have schooled him over fences and he has taken to them well, so fingers crossed the next few weeks will go well with him. He is obviously a very exciting horse to be going novice chasing with.”