UNBEATEN Honeysuckle could clash with rising star Constitution Hill at the Punchestown Festival next month.
The pair stormed to easy wins at last week’s Cheltenham Festival in the Champion Hurdle and Supreme.
Henry De Bromhead’s Honeysuckle is now unbeaten in 15 runs
And Henry De Bromhead has said bring it on as Constitution Hill’s owner Michael Buckley revealed they are tempted to travel to Ireland for the big end of season shindig.
The two horses are likely to clash next season in a Champion Hurdle to savour, but punters are licking their lips that it might happen long before next March.
Bookies made Constitution Hill the 8-11 favourite for the potential Punchestown clash after he smashed the course record in the Supreme.
But De Bromhead has warned punters not to write off his star mare and Rachael Blackmore again.
He said: “It would be brilliant. It’s what racing is about. I think it would be fantastic. If Michael is brave enough to take us on, fair play to him!
“What Honeysuckle has achieved, no other horse has achieved it.
“I wouldn’t dare to say she is going to beat Constitution Hill. I can’t answer that. What she’s achieved is way beyond a lot of horses.
“Obviously, Constitution Hill was extremely impressive, all his figures were unreal, but she’s just so consistently at the top. I can’t answer who would win it, but I think it would be fascinating if they do takes us on and wouldn’t it be amazing for the sport.”
Nicky Henderson enjoyed two winners at Cheltenham but stable star Shishkin was beaten in the Champion Chase
Constitution Hill’s owner Buckley is keen to travel to Ireland for his next run with Aintree potentially coming too soon.
However his star will also have the option of sticking to novice company.
Buckley said: “I haven’t spoken to Nicky Henderson yet, but I think we’ll just see how the horse is, probably enter him at Punchestown probably for both races and then see how he is. But it would be a terrible shame to do something really dumb.
“It’s all very well saying it works out at 30 lengths difference or 20 lengths difference on the times, but races are different. They are run differently. You can’t take one that is in one way and another one in another way.
“We had a horse which was very quick out of the blocks and led the field at a huge pace. The Champion Hurdle was a different type of race.
“We’d have been mad to run in the Champion Hurdle, with a horse that had had two runs and been to a racecourse twice. It’s not like a Flat horse that’s had a Flat campaign and now gone hurdling. He’s so inexperienced.
“I kind of said to Nicky that one thing about not entering is we don’t have the temptation.”
