Champion Hurdle Odds
The Champion Hurdle is, for many, the jewel in the crown of the first electrifying day at the Cheltenham Festival. Starting at 3.20pm on the Tuesday, it is billed by many pundits as possibly the most important hurdle race of the entire season.
Latest Champion Hurdle Betting Odds
Champion Hurdle Info
This is probably helped in no small part by the illustrious names that grace the events roll of honour, which include Night Nurse, See You Then and Persian War.
The prize fund for this race is a cool £370,000, with the event being open to runners of age 4-years-old and upwards.
The Champion Hurdle is classed as a Grade One Event, and the total distance comes in at a taxing two miles and a half a furlong.
If past races have shown anything, it is that having a horse who is capable of staying strong over two miles is imperative.
This is an event that seems to favour runners who have prior experience of dealing with the intimidating atmosphere found at the festival, as no less than sixteen of the last twenty-two winners winners of the event have won at Cheltenham on previous occasions.
The race typically attracts a smaller field than other events such as the Supreme Novice Hurdle, with the largest field even seen found in 1964 and 1991, where there were 24 runners in total. This is still well under the races imposed safety limit, which will allows up to 28 runners to compete.
One of the most successful owners to enter into the Champion Hurdle is Dorothy Paget, who has claimed a record four victories courtesy of Insurance, Solford and Distel, who picked up wins in 1932, 1933, 1994 and 1946 respectively.
Last year saw Binocular storm the field to emerge as the winner. Binocular came in at 9/1 odds and was owned by N J Henderson.
Celestial Halo set the pace, but the 6-year-old, owned by J P Macmanus, had not trouble matching the speed that had been set. Soon he overtook the charge, owned by Paul Nicholls, and never looked in any danger of being caught as they reached the hill.
As for 2011, Binocular is the firm favourite, with hopes that he will repeat his stellar performance. Though Willie Mullins Hurricane Fly, who missed most of last season through injury, has also been attracting a lot of attention.
