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
|
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on a selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
|
18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
|
Offer valid for new BetTom customers. 50% of first day losses refunded as a free bet up to £25. Credited within 24 hours. 35x wagering requirement applies to free spins. Maximum takeout is £50 from free spins. 18+ Full terms apply. begambleware. |
|||||
|
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 |
|||||
|
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. |
|||||
|
1st deposit only | min deposit £10 | max bonus £10 | Min Odds 1/1 (2.0) | Max winnings £100 | 5 day bonus expiry | User agreement & Bonus T&Cs apply |
|||||
|
18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. 1st Deposit & Bet £/€10+ at min odds 1/2 on Sports within 14 days of account reg & Get 4x £10 Free Bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days) Max 1 Free Bet per player. Restrictions + T&Cs 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 £10 win or E/W bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 & get 4 x £10 free bets . Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&C apply |
|||||
|
New Customers Only. To qualify, deposit and place a minimum £10 bet on any sport. Then, place two additional qualifying bets, each worth at least 50% of your largest initial stake. Quinnbet will credit your account with a Free Bet up to £25, the following day 18+ T&Cs Apply. Gamble Responsibly. |
|||||
|
*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+ |
|||||
|
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+ |
|||||
|
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ Please gamble responsibly. |
|||||
|
Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet.18+. Full T&Cs apply. www.gambleaware.org. |
|||||
|
New UK Customers, 18+. Min. £10 deposit and bet on odds 1/1 or greater required. Extra bets and bonus spins are issued within 24 hours of the qualifying bet being settled. Extra bet valid for 14 days, stake not returned. Bonus spins are valid for 24 hours, only available on the Book of Dead game. Wagering Required on Bonus Spins: x15. Terms and Conditions apply |
|||||
|
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD |
|||||
|
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. |
|||||
|
18+. New Players Only. Min. £10 deposit and bet on odds 1/1 or greater required. Extra bets and bonus spins are issued within 24 hours of the qualifying bet being settled. Extra bet valid for 14 days, stake not returned. Bonus spins are valid for 24 hours, only available on the Book of Dead game. Terms and Conditions apply. |
|||||
|
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly! |
