Unibet Champion Hurdle

AGE - 5 yr olds

2021 - Two ran, Aspire Tower a very respectable 4th at 33s, Goshen 8th at 11/2.

2020 - Three ran, Pentland Hills, Fusil Raffles, Coeur Sublime. Out with the washing.

2019 - The race seemed to fall into a hole with the three big contenders underperforming. Nothing, however, should be taken away from the performance of the ill fated Espoir D'Allen who bolted up by 15l at 16/1 under a fine patient ride by Mark Walsh. Tom Segal Antepost 25s. Remember looking at Betfair win book just before the off, Espoir was 25s and even after being present at Naas for his previous win, I thought naw, he can't... Only 5 yr old in the field. Quilixios, Teahupoo

FIVE YR OLDS - 2018, Charlie Parcs, pointless front runner PU. 2017, Footpad 4th, Sceau Royal 6th, 2016 4 ran best Top Notch in 5th. 2015 two outsiders outclassed, 2014 Our Conor 5s tragically fell, Petit Zig 6th at 28s. 2013 Countrywide Flame 3rd (16s) Balder Success (UR). Before Katchit, only Persian War, Night Nurse and See You Then won as 5 yr olds.

To summarise, all 73 five yr olds since '85 were beaten, until 2008. Before Espoir D'Allen six of the previous 28 to try, have been placed. Apart from Binocular (2nd in Supreme) the other five finished in the first 4 in the previous year's Triumph. Aspire Tower (but not Goshen) unheld the honour of the 2020 Triumph. Had finished 2nd in G1 Matheson after winning the G2 Down Royal in November. Fusil Raffles, Pentland Hills, and Coeur Sublime did little for the 2019 Triumph. Since Detroit City '06, the winner of the Triumph has run 7 times in the following year's Champion Hurdle finishing 1/2/3/5/3/F/Last/9th. Goshen would have won..

Katchit and Persian War '68 only two Triumph winners to win this the following year. See You Then was only second in the Triumph '84.
Espoir D'Allen, through injury, didn't make the Triumph in 2018. The 2007 Triumph with Katchit winning by 9l and Punjabi in 4th is the only one that has ever featured two Champion Hurdle winners. Thank you, @barrydillon79. A cracking stat.

Last year's Triumph form - Quilixios's best run since was 2nd in that 4 yr old G2 at Limerick, Adagio 2nd to Monmiral G1 Aintree. This season fine 2nd under top weight in the Greatwood. Zanahiyr 2nd, Haut de Couleurs 3nd G1 Punchestown. Zanahiyr won at Down Royal, good 2nd in G1 Matheson. Tritonic won good G3 h'cap at Ascot off 141. Even Historic Heart 41l last has since jogged home off 130 in a Cl3 at Perth. There have been worse years. Apples Jade, Footpad, Lets Dance, Sceau Royal, Who Dares Wins, Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon came from the 2016 vintage. Like 2017, Defi Du Seuil's year, 2018 was not particularly exciting, 2019 even less so.

Limestone Lad Hurdle Naas late January - Was a guest that day of the racecourse when Espoir D'Allen (the Pricewise Special) won it from Wicklow Brave, both now RIP. And no, backed neither at the Festival a few weeks later. Darasso (not entered) from Saint Felicien.

Penhill, Faugheen, Katchit in 2008, Istabraq and Hardy Eustace are the only winners of Festival novice hurdles since 1984 to have returned to Cheltenham and won any hurdle race the following year. Appreciate It, Bob Olinger, Quilixios.

Since 1992, 8 novices competed in this. None of them were five year olds. Ex Flat runners Royal Gait, Alderbrook and Make A Stand won, Rhinestone Cowboy was 3rd, Ashley Park and Self Defense 4th. (None ran in last 12 yrs though Darvers Star was close to a novice).

OLDER HORSES - Hurricane Fly was the first since Rooster Booster winner ‘03 to win at aged 9 yrs. Faugheen unplaced 2018 as a 10 yr old. One before that Royal Gait in 1992. This century, four eight year olds and two nine years old have won. Three of the six were returning to win it again. Only 4 winners older than 8 since 1951. To summarise, since 2003 all bar the Fly 2013 aged between 6 and 8 years.

Sea Pigeon '81, last 11 yr old to win Champion Hurdle. One before that was Hatton's Grace '51. Both also won it as 10yr olds. Not So Sleepy 5th last year as a 9 yr old. Three elder statesmen ran in 2020, closest was Petit Mouchoir, also in 5th. Those 10 yrs of age or older are 0-29 during the past 39 yrs. Buveur D'Air will be 11.

REGAINING CROWN - Hurricane Fly 2013 and Comedy Of Errors in 1975 only ones to regain. The Fly won 22 Grade 1s, three in his final season beating the current champion on each occasion. Up with the greatest 2 mile hurdlers there have ever been, if not the best. Buveur D'Air

LAST YEARS RACE? - From Matt Tombs. Placed horses from previous years Ch Hurdle are 5 from the last 17 to run. Since 1990 (and unlike the Gold Cup), 8 winners of this had been beaten in the previous year's renewal. Sharjah placed two years in a row, Epatante.

M/D Pipe - two winners and two thirds from their 8 runners that started under 16/1 (‘08 Osana 2nd at 9/2). Nothing good enough to compete for at least a decade. Moon Racer 10/1 PU 2017. Adagio No Northern trained winner for 35 years.

N Henderson leads Peter Easterby eight wins to five. Epatante. The last nine winners were trained either by Nicky Henderson or Irish trainers.

2021 Champion Hurdle - Rachel blew them away. Top official rated beat next two top rated, You would be surprised if any of those behind would ever count again in this race. In the last 22, 10 winners ran in the previous year's race. No winner was unplaced in last years race since Fakey Dove 1994 (hard to believe, but that mare ran 11 times flat and hurdles between Champion Hurdles).

BETFAIR HURDLE/TOTE GOLD TROPHY - Make A Stand 1997 only winner in the last 40 plus yrs to have its last race before Cheltenham in a handicap. Make A Stand joined Persian War '68 as the only winners of both in the same season. Persian War then won the second of his three Ch Hurdles in '69. Last Betfair Hurdle winner to run in this was Zarkardar in 2012 who went on to finish 5th at 9/1 to Rock on Ruby at Cheltenham. Last Betfair/Tote Gold Trophy winner to run in this 13 months later was '03 Copeland 25/1 allegedly 'every chance when fell 3 out' in Rooster's year. Every chance? I must have been watching a different race. In '94 Flakey Dove finished 3rd at Newbury then won here. Glory And Fortune  

INTERNATIONAL/BULA HURDLE - Rooster Booster ’03 first Bula/Champion Hurdle double since Comedy Of Errors ’74. Since 1987 19 winners of the 'Bula' have attempted the double. Apart from Rooster, Valiramix probably was going to win here before the tragedy happened. Four have finished second (including three of the last seven), one was third, one fell and the rest were unplaced (including The New One 3rd in 2014, unlucky hampered by the tragic fall of Our Conor). Rooster is the only one of the 18 who had won at the Festival in the previous year. 2018 Melon finished third in the International before chasing Buveur D'Air home in March. 2019 Call Me Lord started 10/1 for this. I believe it took a while to find him afterwards. Song For Someone didnt come last year. Very wise. Guard Your Dreams NR
 

Rooster Booster off 144 only horse to do County Hurdle then Champion Hurdle (2003). Rooster came here on the back of 4 wins including Bula. Arctic Fire was beaten in the County off 141 then finished second to Faugheen. Belfast Banter has actually won a novice G1 since taking the County off 129.

Buveur D'Air liked to stroll around the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown. Goshen ain't coming. A pity.

Hardy Eustace 2005 last winner to come from success in the Red Mills Hurdle. 2020 Cilaos Emery, supplemented for £22k, got their money back in fourth. 2021 Jason The Militant went to Aintree. U. Teahupoo wins easy.

SUPREME NOVICES - The chestnut. Bula 1971 the last horse to complete the double. However, both Buveur D'Air 2017 and Jezki 2014 were beaten in the Supreme the year before winning this. 2010 Binocular two years later. 2021 Appreciate It from Ballyadam. 2020 Shiskin off to the Arkle. Abacadabras 2nd to Shiskin, 10/1, fell at the third. The 2019 version was not, a classic Klassical Dream inj. 2018 nine finished in a heap in a bog. The best in that field would have been Sharjah who to his credit won a Galway Hurdle off top weight, a G1 Morgiana, four G1 Leopardstown Mathesons and finished runner up twice here. Compare 2016. Altior, Min, Buveur D'Air 3rd. First 11 home have all won decent races. Some have said that even the ambulance has been placed since. Very much a rival to the vintage of 2013, Champagne Fever, Jezki etc. Form of Supreme winner the next year back to 1990 (7P5005302F8).

NEPTUNE NOVICE HURDLE - Bob Olinger from? Nothing coming from this race nor 2019 City Island beating Champ. In 2014 Faugheen won the Neptune by 4 1/2 lengths. Only one since Hardy Eustace '04 and Istabraq '98 to do the double. Danoli, French Holly, Peddlers Cross and The New One all placed in the Champion the year after winning Neptune. Rock On Ruby won the 2 mile championship the year after his sh hd defeat in the Neptune. It is said that the Neptune is a better guide than the Supreme to Champion Hurdle contenders however Yanworth 2nd to Yorkhill in 2016 is the last horse who ran in a Neptune to come anyway near in this race (fav and 7th). Nichols Canyon had been 3rd in each.

Times - Honeysuckle's 3 53 was three seconds faster than Appreciate It. 2020 Epatante's 4 07, showed how heavy it actually was. It was the second slowest time this century, after Katchit's 4 mins 8 , but still one second faster than Shishkin an hour earlier. 2019 - Espoir's 3 mins 59 was pretty good for tacky ground. Similar time to Klassical Dream's Supreme. 2018 - Buveur's 4 mins 5 was on heavy going. In the fastest Champion Hurdle time of the last decade or so, 3 mins 45.1 secs, Annie Power 2016 went round one second faster than Altior had done an hour earlier in the Supreme. In contrast Buveur D'Air's first Champion Hurdle at 3.50 was 5 seconds slower than that of Annie Power but three seconds faster than Labaik's Supreme. In 2015 3 mins 47secs in goodish ground, Douvan's 2015 Supreme was 3 secs faster than Faugheen 2 hrs later in the Champion Hurdle. In 2014 Champagne Fever timed in 3 mins 46 secs in goodish ground, one second slower than Jezki. Novices carry 3lb less.

Fastest times this season -

Matheson Hurdle Sharjah 3 50 - yieldding 6 seconds faster than last year

Epatante 3 51 Fighting Fifth Newcastle good to soft, same time as 2020 on good ground. 4 01 for Kempton 14 seconds slower than Silver Streak RIP 2020 good.

Bula - Guard Your Dreams Cheltenham good to soft 4 03

Limestone Lad Hurdle - Naas yielding - Darasso 3 53

2022 Irish Champion Hurdle Honeysuckle 4 04 yeilding

Bula '71 only horse ever to do Supreme/Champion double in consecutive years. Browne's Gazette '85 should at 8/13... (its ok now, days go by and I hardly ever think of it, my Doug Saunders moment, the self taught lesson in trying to buy money. On reflection, probably one of my best ever bets). Hors La Loi and Brave Inca did win both but not in consecutive years. Since '84, only 10 have tried and only the Gazette, Like A Butterfly and Go Native (all unplaced) came to the Champion Hurdle on the back of a G1 success. Klassical Dream inj. However Jezki and Buveur D'Air both placed in Supreme before winning this the next year. My Tent Or Yours 2nd in both races in consecutive years. Shishkin won the Arkle. Appreciate It.

Epatante, Buveur D'Air and Faugheen have joined Kribensis ’90 of the last 28 Kempton Xmas Hurdle winners to come to complete the Champion double.

Up to the introduction of the WBX Million Bonus in '08 it was true to say that anything involved in the Fighting Fifth/Kempton Hurdles had little chance here. Even though the bonus no longer exists the Fighting Fifth now does tend to attract a stronger lineup. Buveur D'Air cantered home 2017 and 2018, in 2018 when only second favourite to Samcro. In 10 of the last 13 years something at least was placed in the Champion which featured at Newcastle. Petit Mouchoir fell 2016 at Newcastle when in contention. 4 winners, 4 seconds and a third. 2015 Arctic Fire 3rd at Newcastle, 2nd here. My Tent or Yours 2nd 2014, Countrywide Flame 3rd 2013, Overturn 2nd 2012, Peddlers Cross 2nd all after winning the Fighting Fifth. Buveur D'Air and Punjabi only ones to do the double. Binocular and Katchit both won Champion Hurdles after being beaten at Newcastle. 2020 Epatante outclassed Sceau Royal. 2021 Epatante dead heated with Not So Sleepy

None of the last 20 started at bigger than 9/2 last time.

Buveur D'Air, Beech Road 1989 and Morley Road 1991 gave up novice chase careers that season to return to hurdles and win this. All three won trial hurdles between novice chase career and Champion Hurdle. Cilaos Emery, 4th, gave it a fair stab in 2020.

All bar Epatante, Faugheen and Rock On Ruby of the last 25 winners seen out since the Saturday before AIG Irish Champion Hurdle (26th January - 44 days). All bar those three of the last 25 and 31 from last 36 winners all ran since Jan 1. Those three are the first since Granville Again to come straight from the Christmas Hurdle. In 2014 N Henderson brought out My Tent Or Yours to win a February jumpers bumper at Kempton to 'try and get the freshness off him'. In 2016 after 703 days away Tent ran second to Annie Power. Impressive
 

Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton has a reasonable record if not recently. Kribensis '90, Alderbrook '95 won both and Punjabi was third in '09 before Cheltenham. Of the last 16 winners of the Kingwell, 12 went onto the Champion Hurdle. Hors la Loi '02 and Katchit both won, 3 others were placed. Yanworth unpl 2017. Elgin finished 5th in the 2018 Champion. Last year Quel Destin tried his luck at Fontwell instead. No Kingwell runner up in the last 19 years has gone on to win at Cheltenham that year. 2021 Goshen won by 22 lengths at Fontwell, disappointed here.

COURSE FORM - 22 of the last 31 were previous course winners. Honeysuckle won the Mares in 2020. Not Epatante, a short priced failure in the 2019 Mares Novice. Not Buveur D'Air (obviously first time) nor Jezki (both 3rd in Supreme), Rock On Ruby (2nd in Neptune), not Binocular (had been 2nd in Supreme Novice and Ch Hurdle), Punjabi (had been 3rd in '08 Champion), Sublimity (4th in a Supreme Novice), Make A Stand (had been beaten in a h'cap). Espoir D'Allen, Royal Gait and Alderbrook had never been here before. The latter two were both Group 2 Flat winners. Hurricane Fly also not been here before his first win. Came here on the back of beating Solwhit in 4 successive G1s. Those sired by Montjeu wouldn't get up the hill, they said.

No Cheltenham Champion Bumper winner has ever been placed in a Champion Hurdle.
  
19 of the last 23 were placed at a previous Festival. 13 from the last 23 were previous Festival winners. (Buveur D'Air, Faugheen, Fly, Istabraq three times, Hardy Eustace twice, Rooster Booster, Brave Inca, Hors La Loi and Katchit. Not Annie Power although she would have gone close in the 2015 Mares).

32 of last 38 won on most recent start, including all bar Jezki and Rock On Ruby of the last twelve. Exceptions being Celtic Shot ’88, 2nd in an Agfa Hurdle, Granville Again ’93, 3rd in a Christmas Hurdle, Hardy Eustace ‘04 2nd in a Red Mills, Punjabi 3rd in a Kingwell, Rock On Ruby 2nd in Xmas Hurdle, Jezki last in the 2014 AIG. All the wins last time were over 2m or 2m1f.

30 from last 33 were favourite or second favourite last time out.

All bar Espoir D'Allen, Rock On Ruby and Sublimity of the past 16 had won a Grade 1.

All bar Honeysuckle, Epatante, Espoir D'Allen, Buveur D'Air, Annie Power, Faugheen, Jezki, Rock On Ruby and Hardy Eustace of the last 22 winners had run at least 18 times (Flat and Jumps combined) and had won at least 6 times (includes Sublimity). That's 9 exceptions including the last eight. A buried stat. Better to say, at least 6 hurdle wins. Honeysuckle 10 runs, 10 wins, Epatante 8 runs, 6 wins, Espoir D'Allen 9 runs, 8 wins. Buveur D'Air 15 runs, 12 wins. Annie Power was 15 runs, 13 wins, Faugheen was unbeaten over 9 races, Jezki was 14 and 9, Rock On was 10 and 6, Hardy was 15 and 5 in ‘04. Hurricane Fly was 21 and 11 in 2011, Binocular was 18 and 11 in 2010. Against all that, only Hurricane Fly (second time) of the last 15 had run more than 12 times over hurdles. Honeysuckle has won 14 hurdle races.

20 from last 25 (not Epatante (5), Buveur D'Air (6), Faugheen (7), Rock On Ruby nor Sublimity) had run between 9 and 25 times over hurdles.

20 of last 25 had previously won a Grade I hurdle. Espoir D'Allen only a G3 winner, Rock On Ruby short head 2nd in a Neptune. Rooster Booster came here from winning the Bula G2, Make A Stand from the G3 Tote Gold Trophy. 19 from the last 25 had won a Grade I or 2 Hurdle that season. Annie won a G1 at the Punchestown Festival. Sublimity broke both these stats but was a listed Flat winner. Buveur D'Air first time round only won a Contenders Listed Hurdle at Sandown.

Since 1984 only 6 winners were unplaced in any completed run that season. (Jezki most recent, Binocular 5th in a Fighting Fifth). Only Jezki, Punjabi and Binocular of last 15 unplaced in any of previous 2 runs (latter two in Kempton Xmas Hurdle, Punjabi fell when challenging). Buveur D'Air second of four at Kempton.
 

Honeysuckle and Faugheen only winners since at least 1993 started his racing career in a 4 yr old Irish p2p. To be fair can't think of any other runners from that route. Epatante from French bumpers.

HEADGEAR - Blinkered runners in last 16 races - 3 wins (Hardy Eustace, great rides from C O'Dwyer, Jezki never in blinkers but straight to first time hood) and 7 placed from 40. My Tent always wore a hood. Rock On Ruby won without blinkers but wore them for the first time when second to the Fly in 2013. No qualifiers last year. Four ran in 2020, best Cilaos Emery in 4th. Two qualifiers in 2019, best Melon 2nd in first time blinkers. Mick Jazz 3rd 2018 in a hood.

Record of previous years winner P11PR213246932441F3. Hardy Eustace 2005 last before Buveur D'Air to win two in a row. Honeysuckle.

Punjabi in 2009 only winner this century having been beaten favourite last time out. Two last year, best Epatante in 3rd. 2020, the three Henderson second-stringers Pentland Hills, Call Me Lord and Fusil Raffles disappointed. Only Silver Streak in 2019, third at 80/1. James de Berlais last year finished stone last.

PRICE - 25 of the last 29 winners found in first five in the market. Espoir D'Allen returned 16s was fourth fav of 10. Not Sublimity, Hardy Eustace ‘04, Punjabi or Binocular. Speaking as a clerk and with smallish fields, you would expect that. Seven favourites have won in the last eleven. Possibly too many, for my liking.

NEXT RACE>