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Honeysuckle claimed a third successive victory in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle as she dominated her rivals at Leopardstown.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the mare joined an elite club as just the third horse to win a third renewal of the Grade One showpiece, joining four-times victor Istabraq and five-times hero Hurricane Fly.
Sent off the 1-5 favourite, it was was the eight-year-old’s 14th consecutive career win as she cantered over the opposition on the way to a six-and-a-half-length verdict over Zanahiyr.
Earlier Chacun Pour Soi bounced back to form to complete a hat-trick of victories in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.
Willie Mullins’ runner was on a retrieval mission after proving a bitter disappointment when last in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December.
However, back on familiar ground at Leopardstown, Chacun Pour Soi comprehensively reversed the form with Tingle Creek winner Greaneteen as he strolled to victory under Paul Townend.
The 4-7 favourite was content to take a lead from Dunvegan in the early stages, while Bryony Frost elected to take the inside route in Greaneteen, racing alone throughout the Grade One heat.
He was clearly in trouble at the third-last though as Chacun Pour Soi started to move through the gears, with Dunvegan and Captain Guinness trying to go with him.
But Chacun Pour Soi was just too good and he was well clear coming to the last, with a fine leap sealing an impressive return to winning ways.

Chacun Pour Soi bounced back to form at Leopardstown. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho


Dunvegan was second with Captain Guinness third, with Greaneteen dropping right away to finish last of the five runners.
Chacun Pour Soi was clipped to 6-1 from 8s by both Coral and Paddy Power for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham — a race in which he was only third as the 8-13 favourite last year.
“He’s back to himself. He was very good all week and he trained very well,” said Mullins.
“I thought I had him very ready the last couple of times and he disappointed so this week I decided I was just going to get him here at 95 per cent and I think he’s better like that.
“He’s been pleasing me at home doing that, so that’s what I’ll be doing for the future and hopefully I can get him across the water in that sort of form.
“He doesn’t seem to bring his A-game when he gets on the ferry, whatever it is. Maybe I’ll go undercooked rather than properly cooked the next time.
“Maybe the travelling takes something out of him as well. We always think a day on the boat is like a piece of work so maybe we’ll do one bit less at home with him.
“He has never brought the sort of form he has brought around here to England.”
When asked how he would rate with Energumene, Mullins added: “I would have put this fella in a different league all the time, but that’s before his two disappointing runs and obviously he’s getting older.
“I think he’s a star, but he hasn’t shown himself to be at his best in England. I think he has that day to come yet, but maybe he’s gone too old for that.
“We’ll go back this year and try to put it right.”
Looking back on his run at Sandown, Townend said: “He made a couple of mistakes in Sandown and I just thought that, early on today, he wasn’t as quick through the air as he normally is. But as the race progressed he was much better.
“I love the horse and love riding him and I’m delighted for him. He’s been fragile all his life so hopefully he’s in one piece come Cheltenham.”
Earlier Galopin Des Champs dominated his rivals to land a spectacular success in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase.
Willie Mullins’ charge was sent off the 4-9 favourite after an impressive chasing bow at the Dublin track over Christmas — and victory barely looked in doubt from a distance out in the two-mile-five-furlong Grade One feature.
Galopin Des Champs was settled in second by Paul Townend with French Dynamite setting the pace and his task was slightly eased when Capodanno unseated his rider at the fifth before Beacon Edge fell at the next fence.
Fury Road then made a terrible error at the fourth-last, but Galopin Des Champs was already firmly in control and while Master McShee and fellow Mullins inmate Gaillard Du Mesnil tried to make a race of it, the winner was in another league.
A clever leap at the last sealed victory, with Master McShee keeping on admirably to finish a nine-length second, with Gaillard Du Mesnil a further five lengths back in third.
Galopin Des Champs was already prominent in the ante-post lists for Cheltenham before the race, but he was chopped to 13-8 favourite from 2-1 for the three-mile Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival by Paddy Power. The same firm go 15-8 from 9-4 for the shorter Turners Novices’ Chase, while Coral make him the 10-11 market leader for the longer contest.
Mullins said: “I wasn’t as happy with his jumping as I was at Christmas, but then Paul said it was a Grade One pace today. Bryan Cooper got down off my other horse and said the same thing, they were going so fast.
“Paul said he didn’t want to let him down to jump fences the way he did at Christmas otherwise he would maybe have been in front too early, on softer ground, so he held on to him a bit longer.
“He didn’t go with them a few times and the horse was very brave and I was wondering how long that was going to last.

Galopin Des Champs was impressive again at Leopardstown. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA


“They finished together, which is good, and both would have learned a lot from today’s run against real stiff company. The horses behind him were really good horse, Grade One winners.
“When they jumped the second I said ‘is there anything going well’ and you could see all the jockeys were sort of nudging. I said ‘Paul is still going well, all you’ve got to do now is jump the last’ and that’s what happened.
“My heart was in my mouth jumping those fences down the back, whereas at Christmas I was waiting for another fence to come up because he was really pinging fences. Paul didn’t want to let him do that today, he tried to teach him something.
Hopefully we are sound and well the week before Cheltenham
“We’ll just try to keep him right now and then decide where we are going to go. A lot of things can happen between now and Cheltenham.
“Hopefully we are sound and well the week before Cheltenham and we’ll know then what’s happening.”
Townend added: “He knew he had a race there today, but he still hit the line well. It was a pressure ride and I’m glad it worked out.
“He possibly would appreciate further, but when he can put in performances like that over today’s trip, it definitely opens more doors for him.
“What he did that day (at Christmas) was very special to see, but he had to back it up in my book and he didn’t do himself any harm there, I think.”