The Champion Hurdle is the most prestigious hurdle race of the year and the highlight of the opening day at the Cheltenham Festival.
It has been won by many legends of the sport such as multiple winners Persian War, Bula, Night Nurse, Monksfield, Sea Pigeon, See You Then and Istabraq. Constitution Hill is bidding to add himself to that list and it would take a brave man to oppose even with the inclusion of Brighterdaysahead.
My quick picks for the Champion Hurdle
- Constitution Hill – 8/11 with bet365
Cheltenham 4.00 Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy – Key stats and trends
Age
- 10 of the last 12 winners were aged between 6 and 8
- 2 of the last 4 winners were aged 7
Price
- 9 of the last 12 winners were favourites
- 10 of the last 12 winners were in the top 3 in the betting
- The favourite has won for the last 5 years in a row
Form
- 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 1 previous win in a Grade 1
- 11 of the last 12 winners won on their last run before the Champion Hurdle
- 12 of the last 12 winners ran within the last 78 days
- 8 of the last 12 winners had a previous win at Cheltenham
Rating
- 10 of the last 12 winners were rated 161 or higher
- 6 of the last 7 winners had a rating of 161 or more
Other pointers
- 11 of the last 16 winners were trained by either Nicky Henderson (6) or Willie Mullins (5)
- 16 of the last 26 winners had won at the Festival previously
Champion Hurdle preview & tips
The closer the Cheltenham Festival is getting the more bullish I feel on CONSTITUTION HILL. This is a horse that is yet to taste defeat and won the race back in 2023 slamming State Man by 9 lengths.
His issues have been well documented since but he has looked back on track this season beating Lossiemouth at Kempton and then surviving a last flight error to win on Trials day. He has worked well at Kempton since showing real zest and it would be great for racing to see him take back his crown.
We’ll get a decision soon but it is looking like Brighterdaysahead will come here now and be the biggest challenger. She thrashed the opposition including State Man at Leopardstown when last seen and looks on an upward curve so should make a decent race of it.
Each way angle?
I don’t feel like there is much of an each way angle this year as the top two in the betting look set to fight it out. King Of Kingsfield is likely to go hard off the front so that will probably cost him any chance to hit the frame.
Lossiemouth could end up going for the Mares if BRIGTERDAYSAHEAD comes here so that might leave something like Golden Ace to run on for third but I just wouldn’t feel comfortable backing it. I’d rather play the straight forecast on the day of Constitution Hill to beat Brighterdaysahead as that is exactly how I see it panning out.
My picks:
- CONSTITUTION HILL
- Trainer: Nicky Henderson
- Form: 111-1111-1-11
- Age: 8
- Weight: 11-10
Bet on Constitution Hill to win the Champion Hurdle at 8/11 with bet365
Last 12 winners of the Champion Hurdle
| Year | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Hurricane Fly | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
| 2014 | Jezki | John Harrington | Barry Geraghty |
| 2015 | Faugheen | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
| 2016 | Annie Power | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
| 2017 | Buveur D’Air | Nicky Henderson | Noel Fehily |
| 2018 | Buveur D’Air | Nicky Henderson | Barry Geraghty |
| 2019 | Espoir D’Allen | Gavin Cromwell | Mark Walsh |
| 2020 | Epatante | Nicky Henderson | Barry Geraghty |
| 2021 | Honeysuckle | Henry de Bromhead | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2022 | Honeysuckle | Henry de Bromhead | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2023 | Constitution Hill | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2024 | State Man | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
More Cheltenham opportunities:
About the author
Joe Norris
I’m Joe Norris, co-founder and Director of GetYourTipsOut (GYTO), which I launched in 2009 to provide daily sports betting tips, with the main focus on horse racing. Over the years, I’ve earned a reputation for offering reliable and profitable tips, which led to being named “Best Sports Betting Tipster” in 2023. Alongside my work at GYTO, I also contribute predictions to platforms like Oddschecker, allowing me to share my insights with a wide community of sports enthusiasts and bettors.
Find Joe on X: @JoeNorrisGYTO
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