See below the key Champion Hurdle trends 2024 to apply to the big day one Cheltenham Festival feature – a contest Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins have won 13 times between them. While it’s been a top race for favourite backers in recent times, with eight of the last 11 market leaders obliging.
Champion Hurdle Trends and Stats For 2024 Cheltenham Festival Day One Feature
The Champion Hurdle is the big Cheltenham Festival day one feature and carries a winning purse of just over £253,000.
Over the years the race has been won by Festival greats like Honeysuckle (twice), Hurricane Fly (twice), plus the popular Rich Ricci-owned pair of Annie Power and Faugheen.
Prior to that, older horse racing fans will remember Istabraq winning three Champion Hurdles in-a-row between 1998 and 2000 and as it stands no horse has ever won the race more than three times – Hatton’s Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War and See You Then are the other triple Champion Hurdle winners.
Then, when it comes to trainers, it’s Nicky Henderson that has the best record in the Champion Hurdle with nine wins, including another win 12 months ago with Constitution Hill.
Willie Mullins, who has trained 94 Cheltenham Festival winners, will head into the 2024 race with four past wins to his name.
Top owner JP McManus has also been a regular Champion Hurdle presence as he’s seen his famous green and gold silks win the race nine times too.
Champion Hurdle Trends 2024: The Positives and Negatives
We give you the key positive and negative Champion Hurdle trends and stats that have built up in recent times. You can use these to apply to the 2024 runners and find the best profiles based on past winners. Putting history on your side.
Positives
- ✅ 34 of the last 40 won their last race
- ✅ The Irish have won 15 of the last 25 runnings
- ✅ Owner JP McManus has won 6 of the last 14 (9 in total)
- ✅ 10 of the last 14 winners raced no more than 10 times over hurdles
- ✅ Horses unbeaten that season do well (11 of last 13)
- ✅ The Irish and Nicky Henderson have won 21 of the last 25 runnings
- ✅ 10 of the last 15 winners came from the Nicky Henderson or Willie Mullins stables
- ✅ Willie Mullins has won 4 of the last 13 runnings
- ✅ 28 of the last 34 winners were aged 6 or 7 years-old (12 of last 17)
- ✅ 15 of the last 25 winners won at the Festival previously
- ✅ 26 of the last 39 winners were placed in the top 4 at the previous season’s festival
- ✅The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a decent trial (5 winners, 6 places in last 16 runnings)
- ✅ 14 of the last 28 winners started their careers as flat horses
- ✅ The last 9 winners were unbeaten that campaign
- ✅ Note horses that have raced at least once that calendar year
- ✅ Nicky Henderson has won the race 9 times (4 of the last 7)
- ✅ 7 of the last 15 winners ran in the Christmas Hurdle (Kempton)
- ✅ Mares are 4 from 9 during last 8 runnings
- ✅ 8 of the last 11 winning favourites
Negatives
- ❌ Be wary of horses that didn’t finish in the top three in their last race
- ❌ 5 year-olds are just 2 from 112 since 1985, but the 2019 winner was a 5 year-old
- ❌ Only seen 2 winners aged 10 or older (0-30 in the last 41 runnings) since 1927
- ❌ Just 1 of the last 17 winners had raced more than 12 times over hurdles
- ❌ Christmas Hurdle (Kempton, 26th Dec) winners are just 5 from 33, but – Epatante 2020 & 2023 Constitution Hill) – did the Christmas Hurdle/Champion Hurdle double.
- ❌ Only 2 horses have regained the race since 1975
- ❌ International Hurdle winners are 0-from-13 (last 20 years)
- ❌ Just 2 of the last 25 winners hadn’t raced at the Festival presiously
- ❌ The last Supreme Novice’ Hurdle winner to win the Champion Hurdle the following season was Constitution Hill (2023) – prior to that it was 52 years ago (Bula)
Nicky Henderson and The Irish Have Won 84% Of The Last 25 Runnings
One of the astonishing Champion Hurdle trends that’s built up over the years is that either trainer Nicky Henderson or an Irish yard have won a massive 84% of runnings since 1998.
During this time, only James Fanshawe (Hors La Loi III, 20023), Philip Hobbs (Rooster Booster, 2003), Alan King (Katchit, 2008) and Paul Nicholls (Rock On Ruby, 2012) have defied this stat.
How Many Champion Hurdle Favourites Win?
The Champion Hurdle has also been a cracking race for favourite backers in recent times.
We’ve seen eight of the last 11 market leaders reward punters, which equates to a 73% return.
The last four Champion Hurdle favourites have also won and five of the last six.
This year’s Champion Hurdle favourite will either be last year’s winner Constitution Hill, if he makes the race after scoping badly after a recent workout, or the 2023 runner-up State Man.
Unbeaten Horses That Season Have A Top Record
It’s also paid to look for horses that were unbeaten that season as 11 of the last 13 Champion Hurdle winners also ticked this box.
Backed up again last year with the unbeaten Constitution Hill and likely to be franked again in 2024 with both State Man and last year’s winner having not lost a race this campaign.
71% Of The Last 17 Winners Aged 6 or 7 Years-old
In terms of the best Champion Hurdle age to look for – then 6 and 7 year-old is the age range to have in your sights.
Honeysuckle defied this trend when winning in 2022 aged 8, but five of the last seven winners fell into the 6-7 age range and also 12 of the last 17 (71%).
This year, both State Man and Constitution Hill are aged 7, while if Irish Point runs, he’s a 6 year-old.
Not So Sleepy, who was the shock Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner, is a veteran at 12. However, since 1927 we’ve only had two winners aged 10+ and double-figure aged horses are also 0-30 in the last 41 renewals.
When Is The 2024 Champion Hurdle?
The Champion Hurdle is staged at the Cheltenham Festival on the first day (Tuesday)
📅Time/Date: 3:30pm, Tuesday 12th March 2024
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
💰 Winner: £253,215
📺 TV: RacingTV / ITV
See the full running order and times for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
Who Won The Champion Hurdle Last Year (2023)?
Constitution Hill won the 2023 Champion Hurdle and could be back for more to defend his title (watch below).
However, Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten hurdler might be a doubt after flopping in a recent workout at Kempton, when connections then found mucus on his lungs. He faces a race against time to make the race.
If he does run, Constitution Hill will be looking to joining recent back-to-back winners Honeysuckle and Buveur d’Air.
WATCH: Constitution Hill Winning The 2023 Champion Hurdle
Recent Champion Hurdle Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2023 Constitution Hill (4/11 fav)
- 2022 Honeysuckle (8/11 fav)
- 2021 Honeysuckle (11/10 fav)
- 2020 Epatante (2/1 fav)
- 2019 Espoir d’Allen (16/1)
- 2018 Buveur d’Air (4/6 fav)
- 2017 Buveur d’Air (5/1)
- 2016 Annie Power (5/2 fav)
- 2015 Faugheen (4/5 fav)
- 2014 Jezki (9/1)
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
