The Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle has been raced since 1927, and the Grade 1 race is open to horses aged four years or older. The race is run on the Old Course over 2 miles and ½ furlong. The race is the most prestigious hurdle race in the National Hunt calendar, and previous winners include National Spirit, Istabraq, Persian War and Lanzarote.
Honeysuckle is the current champion of the Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle, and not surprisingly, the bookie’s favourite at 1/2. Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the horse is yet to taste defeat in 15 career starts. In last season’s win, Honeysuckle was ridden by Rachael Blackmore. The eight-year-old has repeated last year’s preparation, winning the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle and the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Apreciate it is trained by Willie Mullins and at 4/1 is the bookmaker’s favourite to challenge Honeysuckle for the win. The horse was initially due to make a return to racing after a year-long absence at the Irish Champion Hurdle, but Mullins decided against it, suggesting the horse wasn’t ready for the challenge. If Apreciate it does win this race, it will be history in the making as the Champion Hurdle has never been won by a horse making their first start of the season.
Teahupoo at 8/1 is seen as an outsider, but the Gordon Elliott trained horse shouldn’t be underestimated as he is on a winning spree, finishing first in all three hurdle starts he has made this year. In many ways, the horse is improving with age. For example, in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park, the horse won over two miles by 11 lengths, the biggest winning margin of his career.
Epatante is priced at 12/1, quite long odds for the Nicky Henderson trained 2020 winner. In that race two years ago, she beat Sharjah into second by three lengths. Epatante finished third in last year’s race, a great result, but never really challenged Honeysuckle or second-placed Sharjah. However, the horse had surgery on a back problem over the summer, and it looks to have improved her racing. She retained her Fighting Fifth crown and won the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Zanahiyr transitioned from flat racing to hurdle racing, dominating in his first three races. However, the Gordon Elliot trained horse could only finish fourth at last year’s Triumph Hurdle despite running as 11/8 favourite. At 16/1, bookmakers don’t believe the horse has a realistic chance of winning and recent runouts back this up. In the Grade One Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown he finished behind Sharjah. He was also no match against favourite Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle. However, the horse could be an excellent each-way punt at such long odds.
Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle: Facts and Figures
Five horses have won the Champion Hurdle three times; Hatton’s Grace – 1949, 1950, 1951, Sir Ken – 1952, 1953, 1954, Persian War – 1968, 1969, 1970, See You Then – 1985, 1986, 1987 and Istabraq – 1998, 1999, 2000.
Three jockeys have had four Champion Hurdle wins – Tim Molony – Hatton’s Grace (1951), Sir Ken (1952, 1953, 1954), Ruby Walsh – Hurricane Fly (2011, 2013), Faugheen (2015), Annie Power (2016) and Barry Geraghty – Punjabi (2009), Jezki (2014), Buveur D’Air (2018), Epatante (2020).
Nicky Henderson is the race’s leading trainer with eight wins, See You Then (1985, 1986, 1987), Punjabi (2009), Binocular (2010), Buveur D’Air (2017, 2018), Epatante (2020).
J. P. McManus is the most successful owner in the race’s history with nine wins – Istabraq (1998, 1999, 2000), Binocular (2010), Jezki (2014), Buveur D’Air (2017, 2018), Espoir d’Allen (2019), Epatante (2020)
