Henry De Bromhead's Honeysuckle may not be untouchable in the Unibet Champion Hurdle according to jockey Tom Scudamore with Adagio looking to toss the mare's crown in the bin.

The David Pipe-trained five-year-old, who was runner-up in the Triumph Hurdle last year, has never left the first two in eight starts over hurdles with three of those second-placed finishes coming at Cheltenham.

"For one reason or another, I still don't think we have seen the best of him yet," said Scudamore.
"Hopefully, his best will be good enough in the Champion Hurdle. From what he has shown so far, it certainly doesn't put him too far away and there is no reason to think there won't be a little bit of improvement in him still."
Adagio carried a hefty 11st 12lb in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle in November, and was touched off just three-quarters of a length by West Cork.

Only Gary Moore's Goshen finished in front of Pipe's German bred in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

"It was brave to go to the Greatwood off that weight and he hadn't had an uninterrupted prep," said the jockey.
"It was more of a case that we wanted to see where we were, whether we were going to go down the handicap route with him or whether he was up to graded class.
"Especially with horses that are stepping out out of their age group, like he was after the Triumph Hurdle, you have to find out what level they are at, so even with the weight, it was the logical race to see where we were at with him.
"We were obviously very hopeful he would make up into Champion Hurdle class, and from what he was showing us at home, you'd think he would. But it is one thing saying it and another thing doing it, and we needed to find out."
Adagio faced a stiff task at Wincanton against Goshen, who had been an impressive winner of the Kingwell Hurdle a year before.
Yet Scudamore had to tread a wide path v Goshen and with a straighter run at it, might have got up.
"Would it have made a difference? Who knows? In the end, we got beaten the best part of two lengths. At the time I was a bit grumpy. It has been and gone, so now we can look forward to the Champion Hurdle.
"And you would like to think Adagio is more than a dark horse. I still don't think we have still seen the best of him quite yet.
"We are fully aware of Honeysuckle and you can't underestimate her. I'd rather she stayed at home and didn't have the mares' allowance, but it is what it is.
"But we have been very happy with Adagio and he deserves to take his chance.
"There is no reason not to go there full of confidence."
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