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17:20Champion Bumper
Champion Hurdle
16:00 Cheltenham Festival
2025-03-11
Winner: £255,006
Runners: 7
Going: Good To Soft
No. of hurdles: 8
Distance: 2m0f87y
The Unibet Champion Hurdle, the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, is the championship contest for 2m hurdlers and has been won by some of the greatest hurdlers of all time, including Night Nurse, Persian War, Sea Pigeon and Istabraq.
NO.DRAW
FORM
FORM
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HORSE
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ODDS
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JOCKEY& TRAINER
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AGE
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WGT
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OR
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RPR
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5(0)
143323
Winter Fog
-
J: Brian Hayes
T: W P Mullins
11
11-10
150
158
Veteran who recorded his biggest success in a Grade 3 contest; comfortably held by Brighterdaysahead and stablemate State Man on the balance of his form shown in his three races since upped to Grade 1 level; highly unlikely to suddenly find the necessary improvement at his age.
4(0)
1-1231
State Man
-
J: Paul Townend
T: W P Mullins
8
11-10
168
172
Beaten twice by Brighterdaysahead this season, flopping badly on the second occasion, and was gifted a third Irish Champion Hurdle last month as main rival Lossiemouth fell; won a substandard edition of this race last year and was no match for highly impressive Constitution Hill 12 months earlier; dependable in the main and has a voluminous Grade 1 tally but a second Champion Hurdle win looks far from certain; wears first-time headgear.
2(0)
1/1-11
Constitution Hill
-
J: Nico de Boinville
T: Nicky Henderson
8
11-10
175
181
Acts on any ground; plagued with issues last year but has returned from his absence in encouraging fettle, albeit without showing best RPRs, bagging a third Christmas Hurdle at Kempton then cantering home in Grade 2 contest at Cheltenham (straightforward task; final-flight mistake was a rare error); breezed clear of two stablemates in a racecourse gallop at Kempton two weeks ago; still unbeaten under rules and sets a tall standard on peak form, which includes spectacular performances in the Supreme here in 2022 and this race in 2023, both times looking one of the modern greats; very hard to beat provided he's still capable of that brilliance.
3(0)
0-4225
King Of Kingsfield
-
J: Danny Gilligan
T: Gordon Elliott
7
11-10
146
148
Useful hurdler but is not up to this standard and is held by stablemate Brighterdaysahead on two pieces of form, including last time in Leopardstown Grade 1 when tiring markedly after setting a good gallop; again seems likely to take up pacemaking duties for that excellent mare.
1(0)
12-132
Burdett Road
-
J: Sam Twiston-Davies
T: James Owen
5
11-10
150
159
Made all in the Greatwood (on good ground) in November when looking particularly well handicapped on his Flat form and taking C&D record to 2-2; ran well on bare figures in the Christmas Hurdle but is comfortably held by Constitution Hill on that result; close second to Golden Ace in the Kingwell at Wincanton most recently, showing no further progress; faces a stiffer task and competition for the lead returned to Grade 1 level.
7(0)
11-431
Golden Ace
-
J: Lorcan Williams
T: Jeremy Scott
7
11-3
144
151
Very useful mare who beat Brighterdaysahead at this meeting 12 months ago but that rival was unsuited by the steady pace, has subsequently shown the greater progress and now gets a 5lb pull; gamely beat Burdett Road in the Kingwell at Wincanton (1m7f, good to soft) most recently, proving suited by the drop back from 2m4f and maintaining her consistent level of form; a lot to find on ratings.
6(0)
21-111
Brighterdaysahead
-
J: Jack Kennedy
T: Gordon Elliott
6
11-3
163
176
Met her sole defeat at this meeting last year (finished second) but the race wasn't run to suit and she still emerged best at the weights; rallied gamely to beat State Man in the Morgiana (soft) on penultimate start, then produced a scintillating performance at Leopardstown (2m, good to yielding) where she powered clear once taking the lead from pacesetting stablemate King Of Kingsfield and produced a winning margin (30l) that is rare at Grade 1 level, recording a fast time to boot; highly talented and progressive mare who commands major respect.
RACING POST TIP
Brighterdaysahead
Judged on the rate of her progress, there appears to be even brighter days ahead for BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD who won her latest race by a street and has the best chance on recent form. She is narrowly preferred in a pulsating clash with the 2023 Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill, who is by no means opposed lightly and sets a high standard on his peak figures. State Man's chance of following up last year's success partly depends on how well he responds to first-time headgear.
Cheltenham Free Bets
CHAMPION HURDLE PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2024 | State Man | 21-111 | 7 | 2-5F | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2023 | Constitution Hill | 1-11 | 6 | 4-11F | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2022 | Honeysuckle | 111-11 | 8 | 8-11 | Henry De Bromhead | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2021 | Honeysuckle | 111-11 | 7 | 9-4 | Henry De Bromhead | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2020 | Epitante | 119-11 | 6 | 2-1F | Nicky Henderson | Barry Geraghty |
| 2019 | Espoir D’Allen | 14-111 | 5 | 16-1 | Gavin Cromwell | Mark Walsh |
| 2018 | Buveur D’Air | 11-111 | 7 | 4-6F | Nicky Henderson | Barry Geraghty |
| 2017 | Buveur D’Air | 31-111 | 6 | 5-1 | Nicky Henderson | Noel Fehily |
| 2016 | Annie Power | 21-F-11 | 8 | 5-2F | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
| 2015 | Faugheen | 111-11 | 7 | 4-5F | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
CHAMPION HURDLE TRENDS AND STATS
Key trends
-
Rated within 8lb of RPR top-rated, 9/10
- Won a Grade 1 hurdle, 9/10
- Won last time out, 9/10
- No more than 12 hurdle runs, 8/10
-
Aged between six and eight, 9/10
-
Adjusted RPR of at least 165, 5/10
Other factors
-
Katchit (2008) broke a longstanding trend when he became the first five-year-old to win since See You Then in 1985 but in 2019 Espoir D’Allen became the second in just over a decade (28 from that age group had failed in the interim).
-
Three winners had not run since the turn of the year (two trained by Nicky Henderson).
We have all the best Cheltenham Betting offers ahead of placing your bets on the 2025 Champion Hurdle
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - CHAMPION HURDLE 2024
With Constitution Hill absent, it was finally State Man‘s time to bask in the glory of being crowned the Champion Hurdler. Having already proved himself in being Ireland’s best two-mile hurdler, he avenged his thrashing the year before when fending off the challenge of Irish Point by a workmanlike length and a quarter, despite being sent off the red-hot 2-5 favourite. That added to his wins in the Morgiana, Matheson and Irish Champion Hurdles again and while Nicky Henderson rued his flagbearer’s absence, he still managed to take home third place when 33-1 shot Luccia ran a cracker.