FRANK HICKEY

Paddy Power

Honeysuckle will be nine next year and, as good as she is, it is unlikely she is getting any better. I think it is fair to say Honeysuckle hasn’t yet faced an opponent as good as Constitution Hill and he may be the one to finally take her unbeaten status.

Ahoy Senor would be close to the top of my list, but Farouk D’Alene is also a good price. He was in the process of running a career best in the Brown Advisory when coming down two out. He looks a proper stayer and can prove up to Grade 1 level this season.

Energumene. I’ve always felt he could have the upper hand over Shishkin as I believe connections learned more about him in defeat that day at Ascot. Obviously, we didn’t find out for sure in the Champion Chase, but now Shishkin has a bit to prove and I’m firmly in the Energumene camp.

There is no reason why Flooring Porter can’t land a hat-trick, but the fly in the ointment might be Blazing Khal. His form last season is topnotch and he could easily become a big player in the stayers’ division.