Top trainer takes blame after failing to enter co-favourite for Cheltenham race

10 January 2023 , 16:33

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Trainer Nicky Henderson parades Epatante

Nicky Henderson may have to fork out £4,599 from his own pocket after mistakenly not entering Epatante in the Close Brothers’ Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Henderson held his hands up after the 2020 winner featured among the Champion Hurdle entries but not the race for which she is 4-1 co-second favourite when the nominations were revealed on Tuesday.

This season the J P McManus-owned Epatante has twice been on the wrong end of heavy defeats by superstar hurdler and stablemate Constitution Hill, the long odds-on favourite for the Champion, finishing 17 lengths behind in their latest encounter in the Christmas Hurdle.

She was supposed to be put in the 2m4f race, for which defending champion Marie’s Rock is also trained by Henderson, but her name was not among the 24 entries.

“She should have been entered, she was meant to be entered and as far as everyone is concerned she is still a possible runner because she can be supplemented.," said Henderson.

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“She should have been entered, it was my mistake, which is embarrassing.

“She is still a possible runner in the Mares’ Hurdle. Just because she is not in it, doesn’t mean she can’t run in it and she has got as much chance of running in it this afternoon as she had this morning.”

He continued: “The supplementary system is very good and she can still be supplemented, therefore she should be considered as an entry in my opinion. It’s my mistake and I apologise, but she should not be excluded from the betting in the Mares’ Hurdle.

“Now I have no idea what race the intention of running in is, she should have been entered in both and she will run in one of the two, god willing. I can’t say which it will be because we don’t know and we wouldn’t know even if she had the entries for both races.

“But she must be considered as if she has been entered (for the Mares’), because we can supplement her at the five-day stage and we will do so if that is the race we want.”

Constitution Hill and dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle feature in 17 entries for the Unitbet Champion Hurdle

Marie’s Rock has also been entered in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle but Middleham Park Racing racing manager Tom Palin said: “The plan is to go on the Tuesday and try to defend her crown.”

Jon Lees