Devon Handler Pipe Pulling the Strings for Multi-Talented Adagio
There’s an old cliché in sport that to be the best, you have to beat the best.
That was perhaps the logic behind Devon racehorse trainer David Pipe’s decision to field his prized asset, Adagio, against the unbeaten Honeysuckle in two major races during the 2021/22 season. It was not to be for his charge on either occasion, but Pipe would have noticed how well Adagio ran despite giving away 7lb in weight to the outstanding Irish horse.
A particularly good run in the Champion Hurdle suggests that Cheltenham could become a happy hunting ground for the Bryan Drew-owned five-year-old, and it’s little wonder to see Adagio prominent in the ante-post market for a handful of different races at the Festival in 2023. The horse racing tips columns will be hoping that Pipe retains Adagio over hurdles, but could a switch to chasing be on the cards?
It’s one way that the trainer, who operates out of the Pond House yard, could avoid bumping into Honeysuckle, who extended her record to 16-0 with victories over Adagio in the two editions of the Champion Hurdle on either side of the Irish Sea.
One of the key differences is the age gap – Adagio gives away three years to Henry de Bromhead’s horse, as well as a considerable weight penalty, but the hope is that he will continue to improve with age, and that Pipe can add to his mammoth collection of 15 Cheltenham Festival winners, which include the popular grey horse Dynaste.
A Weighty Issue
What makes Adagio’s progress all the more impressive is how harshly he has been treated by the handicapper, despite his fledgling years.
In both editions of the Champion Hurdle, he was forced to carry top weight, and to put that into context, back in March, he finished just five lengths adrift of Appreciate It off the same weight at Cheltenham. This was just 12 months after that horse had demolished the field by more than 20 lengths in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Adagio’s CV is now stacked with quality runs that ultimately ended in defeat. He has twice been a runner-up in Grade 1 company, first to Quilixios in the 2021 Triumph Hurdle and then in the Doom Bar Hurdle at Aintree in April.
A solid run at Cheltenham on his seasonal return in November yielded another second-placed finish, and then in his subsequent three runs, he was beaten by quality operators – Goshen and Honeysuckle.
'Cheltenham Racecourse' by John Light (CC BY-SA 2.0)
An injury that kept Adagio off the track for three months could have derailed his campaign, but the manner in which the five-year-old bounced back is testament to his durability. Lightly raced, a big season is expected from him in 2022/23.
But will he be hurdling or chasing? His ability over the smaller obstacles speaks for itself, and Pipe might be eyeing an opportunity to win in Grade 1 company with a horse who has plenty of upside given his young age.
That said, chasing would provide more opportunities to compete on a level playing field as far as the weights are concerned, and as a decent jumper, Adagio would surely have a chance of becoming a solid campaigner over the bigger fences.
All will be revealed when Pipe confirms his plans ahead of the National Hunt season in the winter, and plenty will be interested to hear about the Devon man’s ambitions for Adagio.
