YET again 2020 was a year in which Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore excelled, with this dynamic pairing best exemplified through the exploits of the still unbeaten mare Honeysuckle.

The day before Faugheen lit up Leopardstown, this trio held sway on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival when landing the PCI Irish Champion Hurdle. This enthralling success over Darver Star fuelled talk of a Champion Hurdle bid but instead Honeysuckle went down the route of the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.