The Irish Champion Hurdle is the feature race on the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival, and it’s set to be a crackerjack of a contest with the three-time winner Honeysuckle locking horns with Vauban and State Man, but which of the trio do the trends give the best chance to?
Irish Champion Hurdle Trends: Key Stats Suggest State Man Is The One
This Sunday, we’ve only six runners heading to post for the 2023 Irish Champion Hurdle and really it will be a huge shock if the winner isn’t coming from just three of those six – the likely favourite State Man, Honeysuckle, who has won the last three renewals, and last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner at the Cheltenham Festival Vauban.
However, having looked at the 2023 Irish Champion Hurdle trends the Leopardstown stats seem to be pointing strongly in the direction of just one horse – State Man.
Here’s why
1. 79% Of the Last 19 Irish Champion Hurdle Winners Won Last Time Out
The first big tick for State Man is that recent winners have won 79% of the last 19 Irish Champion Hurdles – and he’s the ONLY ‘last time out’ winner in the field.
In fact, State Man has won his last five races and returned this season with two easy wins at Punchestown and Leopardstown (watch below) and in the last of those (Matheson Hurdle), he had Vauban 4 1/4 lengths back in second.
2. The Irish Champion Hurdle Has Been a Great Race For Favourites
Next up is the cracking record the favourites have in the Irish Champion Hurdle. The market leader of this Dublin Racing Festival day two feature has won 9 of the last 10 runnings – including all of the last four – and it’s looking very likely that State Man will be going off as the jolly.
The only blot of the favourites record in recent times, was when Supasundae caused a mini-shock to beat Faugheen in 2018.
3. Trainer Willie Mullins Has Won 50% Of the Last 12 Renewals
Top Irish trainer Willie Mullins has won the Irish Champion Hurdle six time to date – with five of those successes coming with Hurricane Fly between 2011 and 2015, with Faugheen in 2016 the other winner for the Co Carlow handler.
Mullins, of course, trains State Man too, but also has a back up in the race – Vauban.
4. 84% Of The Last 19 Winners Had Won At Leopardstown Before
Course winning form at Leopardstown is another big plus and even though the three big players all have this trend in their corner, it’s still worthy of a mention.
Of the six runners, Pied Piper and Takarengo are the two that are yet to win at the Dublin track, with State Man’s last win (watch below) being at Leopardstown when leading home a Mullins 1-2-3 in the Grade One Matheson Hurdle on 29th December.
Look Out For The Irish Champion Hurdle Winner At Cheltenham Next Time
Since 2013 we’ve seen three Irish Champion Hurdle winners follow-up in the same season in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festvial – Honeysuckle (twice) and Hurricane Fly – so whichever horse wins Sunday’s big Leopardstown prize is likely to be a popular Cheltenham betting tip for that day one Festival feature.
Prior to Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle State Man @ 7/2 with BetUK, Honeysuckle @ 5/1 and Vauban @ 8/1 are all big players for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but regardless of who wins at Leopardstown this weekend there is still one horse that will be ahead of them in the market at the Festival – a certain Constitution Hil, who is on offer @ 1/3.
Latest Irish Champion Hurdle Betting with BetUK
- State Man Evs
- Honeysuckle 15/8
- Vauban 11/4
- Pied Piper 33/1
- Zanahiyr 50/1
- Takarengo 200/1
- Note: Odds are subject to change
Irish Champion Hurdle Trends
- 18/19 – Placed in the top three last time
- 16/19 – Raced within the last 2 months
- 16/19 – Had won at Leopardstown before
- 16/19 – Returned 10/3 or shorter in the betting
- 16/19 – Rated 158 or higher
- 15/19 – Winning distance – 1 length or more
- 15/19 – Won last time out
- 14/19 – Went onto finish in the top six of that season’s Champion Hurdle
- 14/19 – Winning favourites
- 11/19 – Irish bred
- 11/19 – Raced within the last 4 weeks
- 11/19 – Raced at Leopardstown last time out
- 6/19 – Trained by Willie Mullins (6 of last 12 runnings)
- 5/19 – Trained by Henry De Bromhead (4 of the last 6 runnings)
- 5/19 – Went onto win the Champion Hurdle
- 2 of the last 14 winners were second season hurdlers
- The average winning SP in the last 19 runnings is 2/1
RELATED: Free Horse Racing NAP of the Day for today – See our best bet of the day here
What Date & Time Is The 2023 Irish Champion Hurdle ?
📅Time/Date: 3:10pm (Sunday 5th February)
🏇Racecourse: Leopardstown (2m)
💰 Purse/Winner: €112,000
📺 TV: RTE2 / Racing TV
RELATED: 2023 Dublin Racing Festival: Willie Mullins Runners and Stable Stats For ALL 15 Races
Recent Irish Champion Hurdle Winners
- 2022 – HONEYSUCKLE (1/5 fav)
- 2021 – HONEYSUCKLE (10/11 fav)
- 2020 – HONEYSUCKLE (8/11 fav)
- 2019 – APPLE’S JADE (8/11 fav)
- 2018 – SUPASUNDAE (8/1)
- 2017 – PETIT MOUCHOIR (9/10 fav)
- 2016 – FAUGHEEN (3/10 fav)
- 2015 – HURRICANE FLY (11/10 fav)
WATCH: Honeysuckle Winning The 2022 Irish Champion Hurdle
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