Cheltenham Festival 2023: Best tips for the champion hurdle

There are few horse-racing events in the calendar that capture the imagination as much as the Cheltenham Festival. Over the four-day period, some of the biggest stars in the world of National Hunt take centre stage at Cheltenham, with huge purses available to winners.

Opening day this year looks set to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, with wide-open renewals of the Arkle and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle only whetting the appetite. However, for many, it is the Champion Hurdle on the opening day that is the standout race.

Champion hurdle history and winners

The Champion Hurdle has been staged at the Cheltenham Festival since 1927, and it will pit the field over two miles. In total, eight hurdles will be jumped, and it is the final leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling.

Legendary winners of the race include Hatton’s Grace, Istabraq and Lanzarote. However, the 2023 edition of the race could surpass anything that seen previously.

Constitution Hill’s big moment

Experts would suggest that this is a straight match at Cheltenham this year, with Constitution Hill heading. Racing fans have been looking forward to seeing the Nicky Henderson runner in this race since last year’s festival, where he took apart a star-studded field to win by a staggering 22 lengths from Jonbon.

Constitution Hill’s record remains perfect, as he has won on all five starts under the rules. In fact, no horse has managed to get within ten lengths of the Henderson runner to this point. He reached a staggering official rating of 173 on Boxing Day, as he beat Epatante by a 17-length margin in the G1 Christmas Hurdle. Success at this year’s festival would see him become the first horse since Buveur d’Air to win all three of the Triple Crown of Hurdling races. 

State Man for the Irish

Like most races at the festival in recent years, the Champion Hurdle has been dominated by the Irish raiders. Willie Mullins brings the leading challenger to Constitution Hill to Cheltenham this year, with State Man impressing throughout the season. Like the favourite, this six-year-old is also a previous festival winner, having landed the G3 County Handicap Hurdle 12 months ago.

A first sign that he could be a Champion Hurdle contender was evident at Punchestown in April, as State Man won the G1 Champion Novice Hurdle by seven lengths from Flame Bearer.

This term, his form has taken more steps in the right direction, beginning with a four-length win over Sharjah at Punchestown in November. A routine win over Vauban followed in the G1 Matheson Hurdle, before State Man then got the better of last year’s Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle in the G1 Irish Champion Hurdle.

His official rating remains at 167, meaning that a further step forward will be needed at the festival. 

Honeysuckle likely to miss out

For much of the past year, fans have been begging to see the showdown between Honeysuckle and Constitution Hill. However, the lovable mare’s unbeaten record has gone up in smoke this year, having lost on both of her previous starts. She ran a big race to take second in the G1 Irish Champion Hurdle, but there were clear indications that she would struggle to contend with the emerging talents of Constitution Hill and State Man at the festival.

Instead, her final run at Cheltenham will come later on the opening day, as she bids to win the Mares’ Hurdle. It is a decision that not all have encouraged, as fans want to see the best taking on the best in the Champion Hurdle. However, few could argue against Honeysuckle winning the Mares’ Hurdle being one of the feel-good stories of the week.

The editorial unit