Champion Hurdle Betting Preview
The premier 2m hurdle of the British racing season takes centre stage on the opening day - a race which was supposed to provide the home team with an outstanding chance of getting off to a flyer. Alas, it is not to be, as following the late withdrawal of Constitution Hill, we now have a new odds-on favourite for the Champion Hurdle, hailing not from British shores but rather the County Carlow base of Willie Mullins.
Man’s Case Easy To State
Your new market leader isn’t quite as short as Constitution Hill had been, but he isn’t too far off it, with the 1/3 with Betfred representing one of the more generous prices on offer for State Man. Why so short? A glance at the form book reveals all.
State Man may have found Constitution Hill too good in the 2023 edition, but he has been mopping up every major prize on the other side of the Irish Sea, with his high cruising speed and push-button acceleration making him comfortably the second-best 2m hurdler in training. A tally of eight career Grade 1 wins is more than the rest of this field combined; he’s 10lbs clear of his nearest rival according to the official handicapper and, barring a mishap, is much the most likely winner.
Best of the Rest
Next in the betting – and the only other runner available at a single figure price – is the Gordon Elliott-trained Irish Point. At 11/2 with Betfred, he’s the popular each-way choice, and it’s easy to see why. Already a dual Grade 1 winner, this classy sort also picked up a Group 1 win on the flat - when mastering Il Est Francais, who now boasts claims to be Europe’s leading chaser. Those Grade 1 successes have come over further than this, but he’s a three-time winner at around this trip and should finish his race strongly.
The absence of Constitution Hill has forced Nicky Henderson into a rethink. The result of that contemplation being a late supplementary entry for Greatwood and Betfair Hurdle winner Iberico Lord. Whilst not in the same stratosphere as his illustrious stablemate, he is at least one of the most upwardly mobile contenders and will be ideally suited by the soft conditions. He’s a 10/1 chance with Betfred.
Moving down the list, we find Luccia, whose best form is on good ground, Neamon Lion, who goes on soft but has 18lb to find with the jolly, Not So Sleepy, who is 12 years of age, and Colonel Mustard, who is zero from two against State Man but has hit the frame three times in Grade 1 company.
Zarak The Brave (18/1 with Betfred) is more intriguing. Also hailing from the Mullins yard, he beat the talented Tellmesomethinggirl in good style at Naas in January and has twice performed with credit against the highly regarded Lossiemouth. Those efforts still leave him well short of the required standard, but the suspicion is that we may not have seen the best of him yet.
Best Bets
It’s hard to see past State Man from a win perspective, but that price of 1/3 hardly sets the pulse racing. As such, we prefer a couple of speculative punts to add a little interest to what may be a one-sided affair.
Firstly, given his record of placing in Grade 1 affairs, Colonel Mustard looks fairly priced at 6/1 to finish in the first three - if ridden sensibly to pick up the pieces.
For forecast players, take a chance that Iberico Lord may give the favourite the most to do. Unlike Irish Point, this JP McManus-owned runner has a win over course and distance to his name, and hails from the yard of nine-time winner of the race Nicky Henderson.
- Colonel Mustard to finish in the Top 3 - 6/1 with Betfred
- Straight Forecast - 1st State Man, 2nd Iberico Lord
Cheltenham Festival Betting Offers
Cheltenham Festival 2024 - Day 1 Acca
Cheltenham Festival 2024 - Day 2 Acca
Cheltenham Festival 2024 - Day 3 Acca
Cheltenham Festival 2024 - Day 4 Acca
The Pick of Rachael Blackmore's Cheltenham Rides
Top 20 Betting Offers
|
18+ | New players only. Opt-in. Min deposit is £20. Offer: Place a £20 sports cash bet at minimum odds of 3/4 (1.75) or higher and receive a £20 Free Bet. Free bet credited upon settlement of all qualifying bets. Free Bet can be redeemed on selected sports & markets and used on single or accumulator bets (min. 3 selections). Free Bet must be used at minimum odds of 4/5 (1.80). Free Bet stake is not returned with winnings. Winnings are credited as withdrawable cash. Maximum odds of 10.00 may apply. Free Bet must be used within 7 days of being credited. Affordability checks may apply. Full terms apply. | BeGambleAware.org. |
|||||
|
18+. New customers only. Opt in required. Minimum bet of £20 on any selections. Min odds of evens (2.00). Pre-game only. Free bet awarded upon settlement. Free bet split into 4 x £5. Free bet on accumulators only. Free bet expiry 24 hours. Other free bet terms apply. Maximum pay-outs apply. GamCare.org.uk | UK only. Full T&Cs apply. #ad |
|||||
|
New customers. Bet £40+ at odds 2.0 (evens) or greater, with code BET40GET20, get 2×£10 Free Bets. Free Bets must be placed at min odds 4/1 (5.0) or greater, paid after settlement and 24h later, expire in 24h. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org |
|||||
|
18+ | New UK customers only. Place a £20+ bet with minimum 3 legs, min 2/1 and receive a £10 Free Bet. The Free Bet will be credited once your qualifying bet settles. Free Bet expires 7 days after being awarded. BeGambleAware.org | T&Cs & Maximum Payouts apply. |
|||||
|
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stake not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New UK + ROI customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £/€5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stakes not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New customers online only. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. Bet a min £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) across sports or racing within 7 days of registration. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit, £/€10 Free Sports Bet and 2 x £/€5 Bet Builder within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to bet slip. Voided/non-runner bets will not qualify; subsequent bet will be qualifying bet. 7-day expiry. 18+. One per customer. Selected customers only. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New customers only. Min £20 bet at odds 2.00+. Max reward: One £10 Free Bet and two £5 Combo Free Bets. £10 Free Bet min odds 1/1 (2.00). £5 Combo Free Bets min odds 2/1 (3.0). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. |
|||||
|
*New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. Virtuals) 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in deposit and bet min £10 (max £30) on any sports (odds 2.00+) within 7 days. Get your initial stake (up to £30) credited in Free Bets. Free Bets to be used on selected markets and expire in 7 days. Scroll Down for T&Cs. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accepted in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
|
Place a £10 fixed odds Outright winner cash bet on a nation to win the World Cup. Once the bet is placed, receive 1 x free £10 fixed odds bet, 1 x free £10 football Total Goals spread bet and 1 x free £10 football Supremacy spread bet. Then receive a further free £10 fixed odds bet for every match your chosen nation wins during the World Cup, to a maximum of 7 wins. Offer expires at 9pm on Tues 23rd June 2026. 18+ www.gambleaware.org. |
|||||
|
New customers only. Place a min £10 bet at min odds of 2.0. £40 worth of Free Bet Tokens awarded on bet settlement plus additional £20 Free Bet tokens will be credited on the 11th June. 6 x £10 each with betting restrictions. 7 day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way Full Terms apply |
|||||
|
New sportsbook customers only. Place £10 first bet at min odds 1/2 to get £20 Free Bet. Stake not returned. Free Bet valid 7 days, min odds 1/2. Settled bets only. One welcome offer per customer (not with 50% Net Loss Refund). 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. |
|||||
|
Offer valid for new Betgoodwin customers aged 18 years and over. Min qualifying stake £10 at odds of 6/4+. Excludes horse & greyhound racing. Min 4 legs at odds of 2/5+ for £10 free acca. Full Terms apply. begambleaware |
|||||
|
18+| GambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Opt in. Deposit and Bet £10+ on sports at min odds of 2.0+ (1/1) for £30 in Free Bets within 7 days. Debit cards or instant bank transfers only. Free bets expire within 7 days of issue. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply.#AD |
|||||
|
New customers only. Min £20 bet at odds 2.00+. Max reward: One £10 Free Bet and two £5 Combo Free Bets. £10 Free Bet min odds 1/1 (2.00). £5 Combo Free Bets min odds 2/1 (3.0). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
