Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Betting Preview – Champion Hurdle

Now that we have the early entries for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, it’s time to break down the leading players, dark horses, and forgotten challengers of the Cheltenham Festival championship races.

Here, we start with the Champion Hurdle, with the unbeaten Constitution Hill sitting at the top of the Champion Hurdle betting.

Champion Hurdle betting: Constitution Hill 5/6, Brighterdaysahead 5/1, Lossiemouth 5/1, State Man 11/1, Anzadam 12/1, Sir Gino 20/1, 33/1 bar.

Champion Hurdle ante-post betting – The main players

The Champion Hurdle, where speed, accuracy, and bravery are at the forefront of every Champion Hurdle winner in the past, but who can dig deep this season to claim a historic win?

Hurricane Fly, Faugheen, Honeysuckle, Buveur D’Air, Ainne Power, Hardy Eustace, and the most famous of them all, Istabraq, are only a few of the past winners that have had their names etched onto the Champion Hurdle crown.

Constitution Hill will look to win his second Champion Hurdle this season, but he has to deal with two formidable mares.

Constitution Hill

• Trainer: Nicky Henderson
• Owner: Michael Buckley
• Form: 11/1-1
• Rating: 175
• Ante-Post Odds: 5/6

What more is there to say about Constitution Hill after everything he has been through over the past 12 months?

He performed well enough to win the Christmas Hurdle back-to-back on his first start of the season, beating the underperforming Lossiemouth.

The question is how much will he come for that run, and is there a case to be made that he is not as good as he was, even given his win at Kempton?

Well, yes, for both.

He is entitled to come on for the run, but it was the first time we saw Nico get serious on him in a finish and the fact that Lossiemouth managed to get within two lengths of him, given how off she was on the day, does raise the question of whether he is as good as he once was.

There is no doubt that if Constitution Hill comes on for the run, he will take all the beating, but at his current price against two top-level mares, I want to take him on.

Unbeaten over hurdles
Made a successful comeback after a year off

Has had a hard time of it over the past 12 months
The dreaded bounce factor

Bet on Constitution Hill for the Champion Hurdle at SBK

Brighterdaysahead

• Trainer: Gordon Elliott
• Owner: Gigginstown House Stud
• Form: 21-111
• Rating: 163
• Ante-Post Odds: 9/2

At the start of the season, it was very much up in the air as to where Brighterdaysahead would end up, with the majority believing that fences would be on the radar. But, to many people’s shock, she would be starting over hurdles this season.

After a pipe opener at Down Royal, where she got the better of her stablemate King Of Kingsfield, it was then onto Punchestown, where she was tasked to get the better of the Champion Hurdler State Man in the Gradce 1 Morgina Hurdle.

Despite an indifferent round of jumping, Broughterdaysahead found the most in a driving finish to get the better of State Man by just under one length.

These two met again in the Grade 1 Neville Hotel Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, but no one could have predicted that we were about to witness a demolition job for the ages.

Having set off with King Of Kingsfield as her pacemaker, Brighterdaysahead and King Of Kingsfield were soon clear and out of sight.

But as King Of Kingsfeild was crying enough, the mare kicked into another gear to power away to win by 30 lengths with State Man nowhere to be seen.

That was a performance from a mare who reached new heights and a performance that doesn’t leave her much to find with Constitution Hill on the figures.

This six-year-old mare has so much more to give, and now that we know she can show her best over two miles with an end-to-end gallop, she can get many of her rivals in trouble from a long way out if she lines up for the Champion Hurdle in March.

My only worry with Brighterdaysahead is her owner, Michael O’Leary, wanting to run her in the Mares Hurdle.

But surely, after her performance over Christmas, they would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to win a Champion Hurdle, one of the very few Grade 1s that eludes Gigginstown House Stud.

Has taken her form to a new level this season
Has beaten the Champion Hurdler twice

Beat at Cheltenham last season

Bet on Brighterdaysahead for the Champion Hurdle at talkSPORT BET

Lossiemouth

• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Owner: Mrs S Ricci
• Form: 11-112
• Rating: 160
• Ante-Post Odds: 5/1

This lovely grey daughter of Grey Pretender shot to the top of the Champion Hurdle betting after an effortless win in the Hatton Grace Hurdle, setting up a potential clash with Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

To everyone’s delight, both Lossiemouth and Constitution Hill lined up at the start of the Christmas Hurdle, but from the drop of the flag. Lossiemouth didn’t look comfortable at any stage.

From the start, she was left over two lengths off the back of the field, and her indifferent jumping, which isn’t like her, made the task even more difficult.

But even though she was not on her A game, she still managed to get within two lengths of Constitution Hill, who was ridden out vigorously to the line.

Back at Cheltenham, she can be much more effective, and given that King Of Kingsfield will likely be the sacrificial lamb to set the pace for Brighterdaysahead, it could well set up for Lossiemouth to sit off the blistering pace and come with one strong bust coming to the last.

Don’t be put off by the fact that Constitution Hill has already beaten her because back at Cheltenham, she can be a totally different proposition.

Unbeaten at Cheltenham
Is much better than she showed at Kempton

Has been beaten by Constitution Hill

Bet on Lossiemouth for the Champion Hurdle at Betfred

State Man

• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Owner: Mrs J Donnelly
• Form: 11-123
• Rating: 168
• Ante-Post Odds: 11/1

It’s hard to believe how much the shine has come off the reigning Champion Hurdler State Man.

In the space of two months, State Man has gone from one of the likely winners of the Champion Hurdle to a horse that is not even talked about as a place player after his comprehensive defeat at Leopardstown behind Brighterdaysahead.

But you can easily give him that run, and if you think that run was State Man’s true running, then you may be in the wrong game.

Winter Fog, who is rated 19 pounds lower than the Champion Hurdler, finished over one length ahead of him on the day, with the 144-rated Fil d’Oudairies just over one length behind State Man in fourth.

For all that State Man is two from three at Cheltenham, he has never looked at his best around Cheltenham angulations.

It will take a career-best for him to retain his crown, which is unlikely at the age of 8, but it’s not impossible for him to fill one of the places.

It’s hard to rule that out at the prices.

Reigning Champion Hurdler

Has been beaten twice already this season

Bet on State Man for the Champion Hurdle at bet365

Champion Hurdle ante-post betting – The dark horses

Away from the top three in the Champion Hurdle betting, you are looking for a horse that will be ridden to come home strong in the hope that one or two of the leading players overdo it and or don’t run to their best.

But as I look at the Champion Hurdle betting and potential runners, it’s not easy to see who will be capable of that, but there is one that may be lurking in the shadows.

There is Anzadam for the same connections as State Man, but going into a Champion Hurdle on the back of one run in Ireland against four-year-olds is a big ask.

If he were to line up at the Dublin Racing Festival next month, he might be worth taking a chance on each way, but at that, it’s not for me at his current odds.

But, the one I like is currently 50/1 in the Champion Hurdle betting, and that is last season’s County Hurdle winner, Absurde.

Since that win, he hasn’t been seen over hurdles and has been plying his trade on the flat.

He has been performing at a high level, which saw him win the Chester Stakes and finish a close fifth in the Melbourne Cup.

Absurde’s exaggerated hold-up tactics would be well suited to an end-to-end gallop here. Given his progress last season over hurdles and back on the flat, he could run past beaten horses and grab an unlikely place.

Champion Hurdle ante-post betting preview – Early verdict

The more I delve deep into the Champion Hurdle, the more I’m torn between the two mares.

But, if the Champion Hurdle were to be run tomorrow, I would be siding with Brighterdaysahead based on her breathtaking performance in the Neville Hotels Hurdle.

Given the likelihood that the same tactics will be deployed in the Champion Hurdle, it will take a monstrous performance from anyone in the field to get to grips with Brigherdaysahead, especially from the geldings, as they must concede seven pounds to her.

If Brigherdaysahead lines up here, I will find it difficult to oppose her.

About the author

Andrew Halligan

My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube’s The Finishing Line Podcast. Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you’re a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.

You can follow Andrew on X (@Halligan88).

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