AS the dust settled on the Dublin Racing Festival it looked like all was fine and dandy for the Irish challenge for the Cheltenham Festival. All the big names consolidated their positions.

Honeysuckle and Chacun Pour Soi had joined Al Boum Photo at the top of the markets for the three championship races.

The ‘ole’ enemy was rattled – Dan Skelton saying we had an easy time of it here and the Mullins horses were getting a ‘freebie’ in preparation for the Festival.

But roll on to last week and suddenly, from left field, we had two legitimate British challengers for the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup as Goshen and Champ reminded us of where they left off last year.

The Champion Hurdle sets up as a terrific battle of tactics – where jockeyship will be as much the key as equine superiority.

Goshen goes from the front. Honeysuckle stays well and could be tapped for toe. Epatante has displayed the final finish to run down a leader.

On Saturday Goshen settled much better than he did last season andm when asked, went well clear of his field, jumping well.

However, Song For Someone, who often leads, was below par. The time was good, if not outstanding. Simon Rowlands rated Goshen a genuine Champion Hurdle contender on last year’s Triumph Hurdle run. It’s also worth noting that the Old Course for the Champion Hurdle is less demanding than the Triumph track.

But Goshen is only a five-year-old, and he has had only one proper run over hurdles since last year’s mishap. Jamie Moore had it all his own way over the last two at Wincanton. It is doubtful he’ll have that liberty in the Champion Hurdle.

Moore won’t have time for looking around coming down the hill or to the last and allow the horse time to jump of his own accord. Goshen will have to have his ‘jumping from instinct’ boots on and remember what happened last year when he was asked at the last?

Honeysuckle ticked the boxes on her jumping and ability to inject pace in the Irish Champion Hurdle and, in a race where the jockey will be as important as the horse in how it plays out, you don’t expect her to be found wanting in that regard.

There’s a strong argument that Epatante is slightly the forgotten horse. Her most recent run was disappointing and the turn of foot she showed in winning last year and in the Fighting Fifth has been overlooked, with her two market rivals putting in impressive wins more recently.

Aspire Tower may race prominently too and Not So Sleepy could be a joker, while Abacadabras and Sharjah are the late callers. All in all, it looks a fascinating race to highlight the opening day.

Gold Cup

Moving on to the chasing championship, Al Boum Photo has sat at the head of the market since last year. He hasn’t really done anything more than rest on his laurels from his second Gold Cup win a year ago, apart from his annual new year salute. A few others have blotted their copybook. Minella Indo was a single-figure price before Christmas but two disappointing runs saw him go out to 16/1 for a time.

Many scoffed at Nicky Henderson’s decision to run Champ in a hot Grade 2 two-miler rather than the traditional Gold Cup Trial in the Denman Chase on Saturday but the trainer knew best. Henderson has trained eight Champion Hurdle and two Gold Cup winners – many of them needing special attention, so his skill in preparing one for the Festival is not doubted.

Champ jumped better than he had ever done before on Saturday – perhaps the faster pace gave him less time to think. Only at the last did last year’s frailties appear.

The Gold Cup looks like being run at a strong pace – Native River will run and jump. So too will Frodon, even if his stamina is suspect, while Santini needs a stamina test as he is beginning to look a tad slow and you’d imagine a positive ride would suit.

So Champ may now have much better credentials than many gave him credit for 11 months ago.

While many considered him a risky jumping proposition, take a quick look back at his record.

He is the top novice from 2020, the RSA Chase winner. He’s a second-season chaser, who have a good record in the race, he undoubtedly has the class to win a Gold Cup, and he stayed very well last year.

Look back two years and a second-season chaser who came with form figures of 1F2F1O/1 over fences. See any similarities?