Unibet Champion Hurdle Preview

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival is a little over a fortnight away and as we get ever closer to proceedings at Prestbury Park, ante-post markets are starting to take shape for the feature events.

With the likes of Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins opening their doors to the media in the traditional pre-festival stable tours, we have decided that now is the time to preview the big races at the Festival.

We take our first look at the Unibet Champion Hurdle contest on the opening day, with all pricing coming from our friends at Betway who offer punters the ability to earn free Cheltenham bets via their "Countdown to Cheltenham" promotion.

Assuming all entries are declared, the 2025 Unibet Champion Hurdle could be one of the best races of the festival, as leading trainers: Nicky Henderson, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins target this contest.

Constitution Hill (4/7) is undoubtedly the star turn here, with Nicky Henderson’s runner winning this race in 2023, ahead of State Man. There have been one or two concerns over his lack of dominance in recent runs, including the International Hurdle, where a mistake at the last had hearts in mouths, but he still won that race at a canter and should be all guns blazing in a few weeks.

Brighterdaysahead (2/1) has been described by trainer Gordon Elliott as the biggest chance of winning the race in his career. A bold statement, but after beating State Man in the Morgiana Hurdle, a 30-length romp in Grade 1 - Nevills Hotels Hurdle puts this fabulous mare in with a huge chance, especially with her aggressive running style likely to offer food for thought to the favourite. She is entered into the Mares’ Hurdle, but this looks the likelier option.

Another Mare looking to turn the tables on the favourite is Lossiemouth (4/1), with Willie Mullins’ runner looking to bounce back from a 2.5 lengths defeat in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day and subsequent heavy fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the beginning of February. Mullins’ said he was happy with his charge who had looked strong prior and there seems to be no lasting concerns, but it remains up to the owners whether she runs here or in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Last year’s winner, State Man (6/1) is another Mullins’ trained contender and winner of the Irish Champion Hurdle earlier this month, finishing 6.5 lengths clear of Daddy Long Legs. His jockey, Paul Townend admitted that not being brought down by stablemate Lossiemouth’s fall was a stroke of luck, but connections will take that having been beaten by Brighterdaysahead in the last two runs. It’s going to be a tough ask to repeat the feat amongst this current crop of entries, but he is in good nick coming into the race.

The rest are around 16/1 bar at the time of writing, led by Golden Ace (16/1), who won Grade 2 - Dawn Run Mares’ race at last year’s festival and more recently took the spoils in Grade 2 - Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton a week ago, finishing ahead of race rival, Burdett Road (20/1) in that contest.

Brentford Hope (25/1) did finish with 3 lengths behind Constitution Hill in the International Hurdle but was hugely disappointing in the recent Kingwell Hurdle, finishing last of four and some 17 lengths behind the winner.