Unibet Champion Hurdle

AGE - 5 yr olds

2022 - Two contenders, Zanahiyr 3rd, Adagio 8th.

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.

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 75 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..Vauban, Pied Piper.

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 - Vauban impressed at Christmas behind State Man, Pied Piper, well behind, after successes in weal races at Cheltenham and Down Royal. Fil Dor in the mix for the top two mile novice chases. Nothing else would appear to count. Il Etait Temps a County hurdle contender? The 2021 renewal read better with Adagio (Greatwood), Zanahyir, and even Tritonic. Apples Jade, Footpad, Lets Dance, Sceau Royal, Who Dares Wins, Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon came from the 2016 vintage.

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. Strolled by Echoes In Rain.

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. Constitution Hill, Sir Gerhard, The Nice Guy.

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 14 yrs though Darvers Star 2020 was close to being 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 as a 9 yr old and 6th last year as a ten yr old. Three elder statesmen ran in 2020, closest was Petit Mouchoir, 5th. Those 10 yrs of age or older are 0-30 during the past 40 yrs.

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.

LAST YEARS RACE? - From Matt Tombs. Placed horses from previous years Ch Hurdle are 5 from the last 18 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, as has been 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. No Northern trained winner for 35 plus years.

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

2022 Champion Hurdle - Rachel again by 3.5l. 2021 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 23, 11 winners ran in the previous year's race. No winner was unplaced in previous year's 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 year Glory and Fortune came here after winning at Newbury and finished a very respectable 5th at 150/1. Previous one to him 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. I must have been watching a different race. In '94 Flakey Dove finished 3rd at Newbury then won here.  

INTERNATIONAL/BULA HURDLE - 0 from 13 since 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 eight), one was third, one fell and the rest were unplaced (I'm 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. Frozen off 2022.
 

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. State Man.

Buveur D'Air liked to stroll around the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown. Race no longer in the calendar to Mr Henderson's annoyance.

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. 2022 Teahupoo well punted here down to 9/1. finished last.

SUPREME NOVICES - The chestnut. Bula 1971 the last horse to complete the double. And in consecutive years. Browne's Gazette '85 should at 8/13... It's ok, its over.. 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. . 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 unpl. 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. The ambulance was placed since. Very much a rival to the vintage of 2013, Champagne Fever, Jezki etc. My Tent Or Yours 2nd in both races in consecutive years. Form of Supreme winner the next year back to 1990 (7P5005302F8). Looks like the stat is going to die in 2023? - Constitution Hill

NEPTUNE NOVICE HURDLE - Nothing coming from Sir Gerhard's win. Not Bob Olinger's nor City Island beating Champ. In 2014 Faugheen won the Neptune by 4 1/2 lengths. Only CH winner from this route since Hardy Eustace '04 and Istabraq '98. 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 was 3rd in each.

Only 2 of the last 24 had not run at the previous year's Festival.

Times - Honeysuckle's 3 50 last year was five seconds slower than Constitution Hill 90 minutes earlier and she carries four lbs less. 2021 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 than the geldings.

Fastest times this season -

State Man Matheson Hurdle Leop 3 56 soft

Constitution Hill 3 46 Fighting Fifth G to S. 3 52 Kempton Soft.

Bula - Frozen off

Limestone Lad Hurdle Naas Echoes In Rain 3 54 yielding

Irish Champion Hurdle State Man 3 52 good to soft

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. The biggest field Constitution Hill has recently faced was the nine in last years Supreme. Will be surprised if there is more than that in this year's Champion.

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 11 of the last 14 years something which featured at Newcastle was placed at least in the Champion. 4 winners, 5 seconds and two thirds. 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. This season Constitution Hill took it in after the ground at Ascot wasn't suitable.

None of the last 21 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 26 winners seen out since the Saturday before AIG Irish Champion Hurdle (26th January - 44 days). All bar those three of the last 26 and 31 from last 36 winners ran since Jan 1. Those three are the first since Granville Again to come straight from the Christmas Hurdle. Constitution Hill. 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 stuff from NH.
 

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. Last year he didn't come to Cheltenham.

COURSE FORM - 23 of the last 32 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.

No Cheltenham Champion Bumper winner has ever been placed in a Champion Hurdle.
  
20 of the last 24 were placed at a previous Festival. 14 from the last 24 were previous Festival winners. (Honeysuckle, 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).

33 of last 39 won on most recent start, including all bar Jezki and Rock On Ruby of the last thirteen. 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.

31 from last 34 were favourite or second favourite last time out.

All bar Espoir D'Allen, Rock On Ruby and Sublimity of the past 17 had already won a Grade 1. 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. 20 from the last 26 had won a Grade I or 2 Hurdle that season. Annie Power won a G1 at the Punchestown Festival. Sublimity broke both these stats but was a listed Flat winner. Buveur D'Air first time round had only won a Contenders Listed Hurdle at Sandown.

Honeysuckle and Faugheen only winners since at least 1993 started 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 8 placed from 41. Zanahyir 28s 3rd in first time cheekpieces only qualifier last year. 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 2021. 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 P11PR213246932441F31. Hardy Eustace 2005 last before Buveur D'Air to win two in a row.

Punjabi in 2009 only winner this century having been beaten favourite last time out. None last year, two in 2021, 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 a huge 80/1.

PRICE - 26 of the last 30 winners found in first five in the market. Espoir D'Allen returned 16s was the fourth fav of 10. Not Sublimity, Hardy Eustace ‘04, Punjabi or Binocular. Speaking as a clerk and with smallish fields, you would expect that. Eight favourites have won in the last twelve. Definitely too many, for my liking.

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Year III BFs that ran III Winners III SP Laying profit

2015 III 64 III 0 III +64

2016 III 55 III 6 III +16

2017 III 53 III 1 III +48.5

2018 III 59 III 4 III +7.5

2019 III 62 III 1 III +56

2020 III 53 III 4 III 29.5

2021 III 44 III 1 III +35

2022 III 45 III 3 III +7