At Leopardstown on 2 February Apple's Jade raced over two miles for the first time since 2016 when she contested the Irish Champion Hurdle and started 8/13 favourite against five opponents including Supasundae, Melon (runner-up in the 2018 Champion Hurdle) and Petit Mouchoir (winner of the race in 2017). She made all the running, held a two-length advantage approaching the final flight and drew away on the run-in to win by a record margin of sixteen lengths from Supasundae. When asked about the mare's likely target at the Cheltenham Festival Elliott said "We will get her home and discuss it with the owners. She's [entered] in the Champion Hurdle, she's in the Mares' Hurdle and she's in the Stayers' Hurdle... Everything is a possibility now."
