Cheltenham Champion Hurdle Betting Offers 2025
The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, so get your adrenaline flowing ahead of time by checking out the runners and riders to look out for, the key trends to track and the 2025 Champion Hurdle betting offers and free bets.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle 2025 betting offers and free bets
Bookmakers usually target the Champion Hurdle with offers for both new and existing customers, and last year saw new and existing Cheltenham Festival bettors benefit from money back offers on heavy favourite State Man to win the Champion Hurdle. Check back to see if any similar offers are available, as we’ll be promoting the most relevant and appealing Champion Hurdle offers on the market.
Champion Hurdle – What you need to know
The Gold Cup may be the first race that comes to mind at the Cheltenham Festival, but the Champion Hurdle is a huge highlight in its own right.
How long is the Champion Hurdle, when’s it held and where’s it run?
The Champion Hurdle takes place on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival as the feature race, and is run over slightly longer than two miles. This relatively short distance compares with over three miles for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and in excess of four miles for the marathon that is the Aintree Grand National.
Because of their different distances, it is rare to see the best horses from the Champion Hurdle go on to take part in the Grand National, or even in the Gold Cup. Nevertheless, the roll of honour includes some of the best hurdlers ever seen, including Istabraq, Hardy Eustace, Hurricane Fly, and more recently Epatante and Honeysuckle.
Champion Hurdle 2025 confirmed runners
The confirmed runners for the Cheltenham Festival’s 2025 Champion Hurdle will be finalised in the days and hours leading up to the race, but ante-post betting has been available ever since last year’s race, with bookmakers realising the interest in a race of this stature.
The most likely 2025 Champion Hurdle runners are currently as follows:
- Constitution Hill
- Lossiemouth
- Brighterdaysahead
- State Man
- Anzadam
- Burdett Road
- Absurde
- Slade Steel
- Kargese
- Mystical Power
It’s worth taking note of which bookies offer Non Runner No Bet insurance if you’re considering placing a bet before race day. This gives you peace of mind by refunding any bets on horses that don’t go on to take part in the race for any reason, whether that’s injury or being entered into a different race.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle favourites and tips
The top 10 horses are listed below alongside their biggest achievements to date and current 2025 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle betting odds.
| Champion Hurdle runners | Most notable result | 2025 Champion Hurdle odds* |
|---|---|---|
| Constitution Hill | 2023 Champion Hurdle winner | 5/6 |
| Lossiemouth | 2024 Mares Hurdle winner | 5/1 |
| Brightdaysahead | 2024 Morgiana Hurdle winner | 5/1 |
| State Man | 2024 Champion Hurdle winner | 11/1 |
| Anzadam | 2024 WillowWarm Hurdle winner | 12/1 |
| Burdett Road | 2024 Greatwood Hurdle winner | 33/1 |
| Absurde | 2024 County Hurdle winner | 50/1 |
| Slade Steel | 2024 Supreme Novices’ winner | 66/1 |
| Kargese | 2024 JCB Triumph Hurdle runner-up | 66/1 |
| Mystical Power | 2024 Supreme Novices’ runner-up | 100/1 |
*All Cheltenham Champion Hurdle odds last updated on 8th January 2025 and subject to change.
Here we look at why Constitution Hill is so well fancied, alongside the other potential winners.
Constitution Hill
After wind surgery put paid to Constitution Hill’s Cheltenham hopes in 2024, he returned to racing on Boxing Day and justified favouritism in the Christmas Hurdle by getting the better of Lossiemouth, Burdett Toad and Lump Sum. Would be a popular winner at the Festival, targeting a third win there after taking the 2023 Champion Hurdle and 2022 Supreme Novices’.
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth is another two-time Cheltenham Festival winner, having come home first in 2023’s JCB Hurdle and the Mares’ Hurdle a year later. A run of six successive victories finally came to an end when beaten by Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle.
Brighterdaysahead
Brighterdaysahead boasts an impressive record of nine wins in 10 races so far, the only defeat coming when second in last year’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Victories at Aintree, Down Royal and Punchestown followed, before she destroyed the likes of State Man by over 30 lengths at Leopardstown in December.
State Man
Last year’s Champion Hurdle winner has his work cut out this time round if early season form is anything to go by. Despite setting off as the odds on favourite in November’s Morgiana Hurdle and December’s Neville Hotels Hurdle, Brighterdaysahead came out on top on both occasions, the second time by over 30 lengths.
Anzadam
Joined Willie Mullins’ prolific stable after winning twice in France. Finally raced after a 411 day break, and it was worth the wait as he came out on top comfortably at Fairyhouse. Unclear how he’ll fare when up against stiffer opposition though.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle past winners
The list of previous Champion Hurdle winners is something of a who’s who of jumps racing. A number of horses have won the race more than once, but securing three wins has proven to be a much rarer feat, most recently accomplished by Istabraq at the turn of the century. With Constitution Hill out of the running, a new horse will be claiming bragging rights in the Champion Hurdle.
- 2024 – State Man (2/5 fav)
- 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)
- 2013 – Hurricane Fly (13/8 fav)
- 2012 – Rock On Ruby (11/1)
- 2011 – Hurricane Fly (11/4 fav)
- 2010 – Binocular (9/1)
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle betting trends
We all like to have an edge when placing our bets, and looking at trends is a popular way of finding one. We’ve gone back through previous Champion Hurdles to see if there are any notable recurring themes in previous winners, making it easier to narrow down the list of potential Champion Hurdle winners.
Key Cheltenham Champion Hurdle betting trends
- 12/12 – Had previously won at least 4 races
- 11/12 – Had raced at Cheltenham previously
- 11/12 – Won at single-figure odds (9/1 or less)
- 10/12 – Won their most recent race
- 9/12 – Won by the favourite
- 9/12 – Aged 7 years old or less
- 8/12 – Had won at Cheltenham previously
- 5/12 – Won at the Cheltenham Festival in the previous year
- 4/12 – Nicky Henderson was trainer
- 4/12 – W P Mullins was trainer
- 1/12 – Aged 9 years old or older
Based on the above betting trends, a younger horse with Cheltenham experience, coming to the Festival off the back of a win, is going to appeal, while it is far less important to look for a horse that has actually won over the Prestbury Park fences. Favourite backers are also normally left happy, with the last five jollies leaving the bookies counting their losses.
How to watch and stream the 2025 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle
If you’re betting on the Cheltenham Festival, you’ll no doubt want to see how the races unfold, and in some cases you can do so on ITV. However not every race is screened live on free-to-air TV, so it’s worth looking for bookmakers streaming the whole event as an alternative option, especially as many offer this option without asking for any outlay.
Watching an online stream of the Cheltenham Festival on a bookmaker’s site also gives you the ability to cash out your bets midrace, locking in any profits or limiting losses, so work out the best option in advance of race day.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle FAQs
What date is Cheltenham Champion Hurdle 2025?
The Cheltenham Festival is usually scheduled for the same week as St Patrick’s Day, with the Champion Hurdle acting as the main event on the opening day. That means this year’s race will take place on Tuesday 11th March 2025.
Who won the Champion Hurdle 2024?
State Man won the 2024 Champion Hurdle, vindicating punters who backed him at heavily odds-on.
What time is 2024 Champion Hurdle Cheltenham?
The Champion Hurdle is scheduled to start at a new later time of 4pm on Tuesday 11th March 2025.
Has any horse won the Champion Hurdle three times?
Five horses have won the Champion Hurdle on three occasions, with Istabraq completing the feat most recently between 1998 and 2000.
What is the prize money for the Champion Hurdle in 2025?
The total prize fund for the 2025 Champion Hurdle is expected to be £450,000. The winner of the race receives £253,215, whilst the remaining £196,785 in the prize pot is paid out to those who finish in the top 8.
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