UNIBET CHAMPION HURDLE

2m 87y (Grade 1) – Old course

Overview

THE FEATURE on the opening day and of the whole season in terms of the hurdling division, the Champion Hurdle is the acid test of the 2m-hurdler, in that the ability to travel strongly and hurdle fluently are both key Honeysuckle became the fourth dual winner this century last year, following on from Hardy Eustace, Hurricane Fly and Buveur d’Air Prior to that, the last multiple winner was the mighty Istabraq, who is the last horse to win three Champion Hurdles and the fifth in all. Hatton’s Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War and See You Then also won the race on three consecutive occasions and Henry de Bromhead’s stable star could bid to join those immortals.

WILL HONEYSUCKLE RUN?

FOLLOWING her victories in the past two renewals, Honeysuckle has the opportunity to join the all-time greats by winning a third Champion Hurdle However, having lost her unbeaten record in the Hatton’s Grace and having been beaten 4¾ lengths in the Irish Champion Hurdle, her connections are now leaning towards another crack at the Mares’ Hurdle, as her Cheltenham swansong “Barring accidents, injury, illness or extremes of ground she will be prepared for another tilt at the Mares’ Hurdle” read the tweet from the owner’s racing manager, Peter Molony, which suggests only heavy ground could see her lining up in this race

Unbeaten This Season

IN WINNING her second Champion Hurdle last year, Honeysuckle became the eighth successive winner to arrive at Cheltenham unbeaten during the current campaign. Hurricane Fly was also unbeaten in both seasons that he won the Champion Hurdle, so that is 10 of the past 12 winners to tick this box, with only Rock On Ruby and Jezki having suffered reversals earlier in the season, during those past dozen years

Looking solely at those past eight years, only

17 horses have contested the Champion Hurdle having failed to lose earlier in the campaign, so a record of eight wins is particularly strong 2020 winner Epatante was technically unbeaten last term, although she had dead-heated on reappearance at Newcastle, whilst the other in the line-up was Teahupoo, who was attempting to defy the dreaded five-year-old statistic (more of that shortly)

Obviously, those past eight winners had won on their previous start and overall, 28 of the past 33 winners had been successful last time out The aforementioned pairing of Rock On Ruby and Jezki are the only winners during the past 13 years to have won the Champion Hurdle on the back of a defeat Punjabi (2009) and Hardy Eustace, ahead of his first win in the race in 2004, are the only other pair this century to win a Champion Hurdle having been beaten last time out.

MARES’ ALLOWANCE

THE 7LBS sex-allowance that mares receive, not only in the Champion Hurdle but in all top flight contests, is often a bone of contention for many. It has certainly been a discussion point over recent years and whether you are for or against the current structure, it is plain to see that it is beneficial when a top-class mare comes along. The past three Champion Hurdles have been won by mares and the two who took their chance last year finished first and second Annie Power was also successful in 2016, so that is four winners from just nine runners during the past seven years 2019 is the only year during this period in which mares were represented and failed to win (no representation in 2017 or 2018) and that was actually a surprise at the time, given that Apple’s Jade and Laurina topped the market

Age

AS TOUCHED upon briefly in an earlier subsection, Teahupoo was unable to overcome the dreaded five-year-old statistic last year and he was one of three five-year-olds to take their chance Zanahiyr finished third and the other was Adagio, taking the tally of that age group to just two winners from 111 runners during the past 36 renewals Since See You Then won the first of his three Champion Hurdles in 1985, only Katchit (2008) and more recently Espoir d’Allen have won the race at the age of five. It is clearly an almighty task for any horse of such slender years and is something that looms large over last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Vauban, who looks to be the pick of that age group at present.

At the other end of the scale, the last doubledigit winner of the Champion Hurdle was Sea Pigeon, who won back-to-back renewals aged 10 and 11 in 1980 and ’81. During those past 40 renewals, horses aged 10 or older are now 0-30, following the sixth placing of Not So Sleepy last year Also during the same 40-year period, only Rooster Booster (2003) and Hurricane Fly some 10 years later, have been successful at the age of nine. That is something which Honeysuckle will need to overcome, if she is to land that third Champion Hurdle

The prime age group for a Champion Hurdle bid is clearly between six and eight. Five eight-yearolds have been successful this century, but 28 of the past 40 winners were aged six or seven, giving those the edge Age does seem to catch up with horses in this division and unless looking at a multiple winner of the race, the statistics suggest that we should focus on the up-and-coming hurdler, in their second or third season.

LIGHTLY-RACED HURDLERS

THAT last sentence leads us on nicely to this subsection. Nine of the past 13 winners had run no more than 10 times over hurdles, so looking for that horse on the rise is certainly the angle to take, if looking away from a previous winner. Six of

Key Trends

10 of the past 12 winners were unbeaten during the current season (record is 8-17 during the past 8 years)

Mares are 4-9 during the past 7 years

28 of the past 33 winners won last time out

28 of the past 40 winners were aged 6 or 7

14 of the past 24 winners had won at the festival previously

9 of the past 13 winners had run no more than 10 times over hurdles

9 of the past 14 winners were trained by Nicky Henderson (5) or Willie Mullins (4)

8 of the past 12 winners were outright favourite

6 of the past 11 winners were second-season hurdlers

6 of the past 13 winners were owned by JP McManus (9 winners in total)

6 of the past 14 winners contested the Christmas Hurdle

4 of the past 11 winners finished in the first 3 of the previous year’s Supreme or Ballymore

5yo’s are 2-111 during the past 36 years

10yo’s (or older) are 0-30 during the past 40 years

Only 2 of the past 24 winners had not run at the Cheltenham Festival previously

Only 2 of the past 12 winners had run more than 12 times over hurdles

Only 1 of the past 46 winners regained their crown

Only 1 of the past 19 winners was aged 9 International (Bula) Hurdle winners are 0-13 during the past 19 years

It is 52 years since the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner won the Champion Hurdle the following season the past 11 winners were second-season hurdlers, whilst prior to last year, only one of the previous dozen winners had run more than 12 times over hurdles, that being Hurricane Fly when reclaiming his crown in 2013. Honeysuckle was successful on her 15th start last season and this will be hurdles start number 19 for Henry de Bromhead’s stablestar if she does indeed turn up

Previous Festival Form

JUST two of the past 24 Champion Hurdle winners had failed to run at an earlier Cheltenham Festival and that should come as little surprise really There are five multiple winners during this time, plus several of the second-season winners will have contested one of the novice hurdles the previous season. Istabraq (1998) started this trend, as he had won the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 1997, whilst Hardy Eustace had won the 2003 Ballymore prior to winning the next two Champion Hurdles. More recently, Faugheeen won the Ballymore 12 months before his Champion Hurdle and four of the past 11 winners finished in the first three of either the Ballymore or the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Jezki and Buevur d’Air both finished third in the Supreme the year before they won the Champion (first Champion Hurdle in the case of the latter, obviously), whilst the last winner of the Supreme to win the Champion Hurdle the following season was Bula way back in 1971 (won the 1970 Supreme and also won the 1972 Champion Hurdle). More recently, Hors La Loi III (2002) and Brave Inca (2006) were Supreme Novices’ winners, but their victories came four and two years prior to their Champion Hurdle wins, respectively. That is clearly something to think about in relation to Constitution Hill – who was, of course, a brilliant 22-length winner of the Supreme in 2022 – although it should be said that many a recent winner of the first race of the week is sent chasing the following season Nevertheless, 52 years is a long time since it last happened

Given the number of multiple winners of the race, last year’s Champion Hurdle winner warrants respect, whilst both Annie Power and Honeysuckle had contested the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle 12 months before the Champion. The latter obviously won the Mares’ Hurdle prior to her first win in the Champion Hurdle, whilst Annie Power famously fell at the final flight with the race at her mercy How could anyone possibly forget that?

Trainers To Note

RATHER like the first two Grade 1s on the card, the Champion Hurdle has – in recent years, at least –been dominated by Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins, who have won nine of the past 14 renewals between them.

With a remarkable eight wins to his name, Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer in Champion Hurdle history. See You Then (1985, 1986, 1987), Punjabi (2009), Binocular (2010), Buveur d’Air (2017, 2018) and Epatante (2020) complete his roll of honour and the last-named mare has hit the frame in each of the past two renewals for the

Seven Barrows team. It could be that she again takes her chance, although she has the option of running in the Mares' Hurdle, having twice been beaten by stable-mate Constitution Hill already this season The latter is Henderson's number one this year

Willie Mullins won four renewals in the space of six years, between 2011 and 2016 Hurricane Fly was successful in 2011 and again in 2013, whilst the Susannah Ricci-owned pairing of Faugheen and Annie Power provided the all-conquering trainer with back-to-back victories. Appreciate It finished a disappointing seventh last year, with stable-mate Saint Roi performing better, taking fourth spot under Mark Walsh Although Mullins has gone six years without a win in the race, Melon and Sharjah both finished runner-up on two occasions since and his runners, as ever, have to be respected. The improving State Man is his principal contender this year

Henry de Bromhead has been responsible for the past two winners, but of course, courtesy of the same mare.

Regaining The Crown

HURRICANE Fly is the only horse since Comedy Of Errors (1975) to regain his title and it once again proved to be a difficult task for Epatante last year, although a mistake at the final flight certainly didn’t help her chance

Green And Gold Glory

LEADING owner JP McManus has won a remarkable nine Champion Hurdles, with the first three achieved by the hat-trick of Istabraq (1998, 1999, 2000). Since then, Binocular, Jezki, Buveur d’Air (x2), Espoir d’Allen and Epatante have provided McManus with a further half-dozen titles since 2010 He had two runners last year, with Epatante finishing second and Saint Roi in fourth, and it is clearly a division in which he likes to be represented. My Tent Or Yours finished runner-up in his green and gold silks on three occasions between 2014 and 2017, and since 1998, he has had 35 runners in the race, so nine winners is a remarkable 26% strikerate 43% of his runners during this period have finished in the first three.

Market Forces

HONEYSUCKLE has justified favouritism in each of the past two years, as did Epatante in 2020. Since Hurricane Fly won his first Champion Hurdle in 2011 (11-4 favourite), eight of the past 12 favourites have been successful Buveur d’Air was odds-on to land his second Champion, having won his first as the

5-1 second-favourite, and during the past 13 years, 11 winners were sent off at single figures.

Following his imperious display in Newcastle's Fighting Fifth Hurdle on reappearance, this year's ante-post market has been completely dominated by Constitution Hill

Key Races

SIX of the past 14 winners had contested the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, making it the most noteworthy ‘key race’ domestically. The past two English-trained winners – Epatante and Buveur d’Air (second time) – were successful in the Boxing Day Grade 1, whilst Faugheen travelled to England to win the 2014 Christmas Hurdle Prior to that, Punjabi (2008-09 season), Binocular (2009-10) and Rock On Ruby (2011-12) were all beaten at Kempton before winning the Champion Hurdle, less than three months later. Constitution Hill won this season's Christmas Hurdle by 17 lengths.

Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle is the first Grade 1 of the season over 2m in England and Punjabi, Binocular and Buveur d’Air (when reigning Champion) all started their season in the NorthEast. It is, therefore, clear that Nicky Henderson likes to follow a similar path with his Champion Hurdle hopefuls (there aren’t too many options to be fair) and this season's race was again won by Henderson, with Constitution Hill

Sandown’s Contenders Hurdle is another race which Henderson liked to use and Binocular used that race as his final prep before winning the 2010 Champion Hurdle, as did Buveur d’Air ahead of his two wins Much to Henderson's dismay, the race was removed from the 2023 fixture list.

And, two Champion Hurdle winners in the past 11 years – Rock On Ruby and Epatante – started their season in handicap company, both successful in the Gerry Feilden Intermediate Handicap Hurdle at Newbury’s Winter Carnival Henderson also took that race this season with First Street.

One race which is a poor guide to the Champion Hurdle is the International Hurdle, from Cheltenham in December Formerly known as the ‘Bula’ this race is staged on the stiffer New course and over an additional 92 yards, so is often more of a stamina test, especially as it is usually staged on soft ground. Katchit finished runner-up in the 2007 International, before winning the Champion Hurdle three months later, whilst the last horse to complete the double is Rooster Booster during the 2002-2003 campaign. Since then, 13 winners of the International Hurdle have taken their chance in the Champion and all have been beaten This season's Grade 2 was lost during the pre-Christmas cold spell.

Over in Ireland, Honeysuckle has taken the same route back to Cheltenham in each of the past two seasons, winning the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle – over 2m4f – on reappearance, before landing the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in February Hurricane Fly won the Irish Champion the twice before he won his two Champion Hurdles, whilst Jezki finished only fourth in that race, before landing the 2014 Champion. The lastnamed was also successful in the Hatton’s Grace, as was Hurricane Fly during the 2010-2011 season, ahead of his first Champion Hurdle success. Honeysuckle finished only third in this season’s Hatton’s Grace, a race which was won by Stayers’ Hurdle hope Teahupoo, and she was beaten by State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle

The Matheson Hurdle – at Leopardstown over Christmas – is the other notable Grade 1 over the minimum trip in Ireland and both Hurricane Fly (won twice) and Jezki (2nd) contested that race, also Honeysuckle tends to have a mid-season break at that point, so again skipped the December contest, which was won this season by State Man.

Finally, the Morgiana Hurdle is the opening Grade 1 over 2m in Ireland, although Hurricane Fly (ahead of his second win) is the only recent winner to have started their campaign at Punchestown in mid-November. In fact, the last winner before him to have run in the Morgiana was Brave Inca in the 2005-06 season State Man also won the Morgiana and as he did in the Matheson, led home a 1-2-3 for Willie Mullins

Roll Of Honour

LEADING TEN-YEAR GUIDES

Hatton’s Grace Hurdle 3 (Jezki 1st, Honeysuckle 1st & 1st)

*David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle 2 (Annie Power fell, Honeysuckle 1st)

*Supreme Novices' Hurdle 2 (Jezki 3rd, Buveur d'Air 3rd)

Christmas Hurdle 3 (Faugheen 1st, Buveur d'Air 1st, Epatante 1st)

*Champion Hurdle 3 (Hurricane Fly 3rd, Buveur d'Air 1st, Honeysuckle 1st)

Irish Champion Hurdle 4 (Hurricane Fly 1st, Jezki 4th, Honeysuckle 1st & 1st)

Matheson Hurdle 2 (Hurricane Fly 1st, Jezki 2nd)

Punchestown Champion Hurdle 2 (Hurricane Fly 1st, Honeysuckle 1st)

* denotes previous season