2023 Champion Hurdle Betting Tips

Racing fans and pundits are running out of superlatives to describe Constitution Hill, with the six-year-old potentially capable of legendary status. After all, there was everything to like about the 2/1 joint-favourite for the 2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as the horse motored up the hill, leaving Jonbon trailing in his wake and there has to be every reason why he’ll win again.

Constitution Hill was last seen in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle where the runner was able to smash up the field to secure a seventeen length win over Epatante. Previously to this, the same horse was beaten by twelve lengths and the main preoccupation for Henderson is making sure that his stable star gets to the course in one piece for what could be a procession.

However, we have seen big odds-on shots fall short at the Cheltenham Festival before and perhaps State Man is capable of running a season best to push the favourite close. Four straight wins for the six-year-old included a victory in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle where Honeysuckle was beaten by nearly five lengths in a win that made racing fans take notice.

State Man is clearly more of a backable price and many will be punting the Irish raider from an each-way perspective, while the field lacks obvious depth considering that many other runners have been scared off from running their charges in this encounter. However, Vauban has had an impressive career and could be in for some place money.

2022 Champion Hurdle Tips

Two years ago, Honeysuckle had a Cheltenham starting price of 9/4 to win the 2020 Mares’ Hurdle. She was second favourite in the betting market behind Benie des Dieux, with the horse landing a half length victory and setting herself on the road to stardom. A year later, we saw the talented mare trading as the 11/10 betting favourite to win the 2021 Champion Hurdle and she duly obliged.

There was everything to like about her six-length victory and the horse will now return to the Cheltenham Festival betting odds as a much stronger favourite to retain her crown. Over two miles on yielding ground at the Dublin Festival, Honeysuckle was able to surge clear at the right time and see off Zanahiyr.

Can Anyone Beat Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle?

There is no such thing as a Cheltenham banker even if there’s so much to recommend a horse like Honeysuckle. She is bidding to win at the Festival for a third consecutive occasion and is currently trading at 2/5 to win the 2022 Champion Hurdle although the horse still has to get to the meeting and win. Even if she is given a mares’ allowance in her quest for glory.

Honeysuckle will certainly have some talented horses to beat. Step forward Appreciate It who hasn’t been seen at a racecourse in over a year. The eight-year-old might come back in sparkling form and there was so much to like about his performance in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle a year ago when romping home for backers of the 8/11 favourite.

Appreciate It betting odds look like great each-way betting value considering that the horse won the Supreme by twenty-four lengths and it appears that jockey Paul Townend is itching to get on board a horse that has bags of potential. Trainer Willie Mullins is keeping his cards close to his chest although there is growing confidence of a big run.

Epatante is the next in the betting and the Nicky Henderson-trained horse was third in the 2021 Champion Hurdle, having won the year before. This is another talented mare who will get an allowance for this Day One Cheltenham race, with the horse having won the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.

2021 Champion Hurdle Betting & Racecard

A year ago, the six-year-old ran a blinder to beat Sharjah by three lengths and the signs are encouraging for a double, with Aidan Coleman on board in the recent Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle Racecourse, with the horse obliging easily at 8/11 although it wasn’t a particularly huge field for her seasonal reappearance.

Which Horses Can Stop Epatante From Winning Champion Hurdle?

There is no such thing as a Cheltenham Festival banker and Epatante will be opposed by plenty of punters who want to secure a bigger price and also might be drawn to several other talented horses in the race who will be going off at a bigger price.

We haven’t yet seen what Goshen can deliver this season although there’s little doubt that we could be looking at a potential superstar, with Gary Moore’s runner having looked the winner in the 2020 JCB Triumph Hurdle, although there have been recent teething problems.

The horse blew up at Haydock Racecourse on 26 September, while punters also had their fingers burnt after seeing the horse beaten at Goodwood, although there is still time for Goshen to deliver on the track.

Saint Roi could be a big contender in this race and the Willie Mullins-trained charge landed the spoils at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival when scoring a success in the County Hurdle at odds of 11/2.

Saint Roi was sent off as odds-on favourite to win the Morgiana Hurdle at 10/11 before being beaten by Abacadabras, although there could be no stopping Epatante in this race.

We could be treated to a vintage renewal of the Champion Hurdle in 2020, with the 2019 race having been won by Espoir D’Allen against most people’s expectations when the JP McManus horse won at odds of 16/1.

The March encounter saw Melon come home at 20/1 and Silver Streak actually made a place at odds of 80/1, with favourite Apples Jade struggling to convince and there was no sign of Buveur d’Air considering that then horse fell during the race.

Indeed, many expected Laurina to take up the running although the 1-2-3 ended up being a shock and it just goes to show that top-class horse racing can still be an unpredictable business.

Buveur D’Air is still a two-time Champion Hurdle winner after triumphing in 2017 and 2018. It would appear that the Nicky Henderson charge is likely to line up again in this race and there are very few horses who are able to win three times.

At the age of 9, the horse certainly won’t be regarded as too old and perhaps he would have won last March if he had managed to stay on his feet, with Paddy Power offering a big price of 6/1 about him triumphing.

Saldier is the head of the market for a 2020 Champion Hurdle success with most firms, with Willie Mullins appearing to have a gem on his hands considering that there was an impressive win at Punchestown in November.

The horse was a relative unknown a year ago, although the runner ran into fifth in the 2019 Triumph Hurdle and then won the Four Year Old Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival to really announce himself on the scene.

That was over two miles on soft ground and that explains why punters are keen to get with a horse who could be the new superstar in the same way that we saw with Faugheen in the Rich Ricci colours.

Saldier’s win in the Morgiana Hurdle was something of a shock considering that Klassical Dream was sent off as the 2/5 favourite, with the winner having Danny Mullins on board and obliging at 7/1.

Perhaps we can make allowances for Klassical Dream considering that last year’s Supreme Novices’ winner was having a first outing of the season and might come on leaps and bounds for the run.

Indeed, it was a string of victories for the five-year-old last season and he could be a fierce contender in the Champion Hurdle providing that he rediscovers some form.

Pentland Hills was been tipped up in some quarters and there was everything to like about the horse’s performance in the 2019 Triumph Hurdle, with the charge having had just one outing previously to this.

The fact that the horse won at Aintree a few weeks later suggests that he might be the each-way value for this race and Nicky Henderson could have a serious runner on his hands.