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
Ahead of the Champion Hurdle in 2025, you can expect bookmakers to roll out a range of offers for both new and existing customers. Last year, for instance, punters enjoyed money-back promotions on the heavy favourite State Man.
Such offers are common during the Cheltenham Festival, so make sure to keep an eye out for similar deals. We’ll be highlighting the most relevant and enticing Champion Hurdle betting offers so you can maximise your chances of success.
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 is one of the most prestigious races at the Cheltenham Festival, held on the opening day of the event. Run over just slightly more than two miles, it is significantly shorter than the Cheltenham Gold Cup (which is over three miles) or the iconic Aintree Grand National (which spans more than four miles).
Due to the difference in distances, it’s rare to see the top horses from the Champion Hurdle transition to races like the Gold Cup or Grand National. However, the race has a history of producing some of the finest hurdlers in history, with legendary horses such as Istabraq, Hardy Eustace, Hurricane Fly, and more recently Epatante and Honeysuckle making their mark on this prestigious event.
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 well aware of the interest in a race of this stature.
The 10 confirmed Champion Hurdle runners for 2025 are listed below:
- Constitution Hill
- Brighterdaysahead
- Lossiemouth
- State Man
- Burdett Road
- Golden Ace
- King of Kingsfield
- Winter Fog
- Brentford Hope
- Senecia
When betting on the Champion Hurdle ahead of race day, it’s crucial to check for bookmakers offering Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) insurance. This means that if your chosen horse doesn’t run due to injury or being entered in a different race, you’ll get your stake refunded.
For instance, Sir Gino had been amongst the favourites for the Champion Hurdle. Unfortunately, injury ultimately ended his hopes, but placing a bet on him with Non-Runner No Bet would have given you peace of mind, and ensured you’ll get your money back despite his withdrawal from the race.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle favourites and tips
The top contenders 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 | 4/6 |
| Brightdaysahead | 2024 Mares Hurdle winner | 11/4 |
| Lossiemouth | 2024 Morgiana Hurdle winner | 5/1 |
| State Man | 2024 Champion Hurdle winner | 8/1 |
| Burdett Road | 2024 Greatwood Hurdle winner | 33/1 |
| Golden Ace | 2024 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winner | 33/1 |
*All Cheltenham Champion Hurdle odds last updated on 6th February 2025 and subject to change.
Here we look at why Constitution Hill is so well fancied, alongside the other potential winners.
Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill made a triumphant return to the track after missing out on the 2024 Cheltenham Festival due to wind surgery. His comeback came on Boxing Day in the Christmas Hurdle, where he proved his class by defeating the likes of Lossiemouth, Burdett Toad, and Lump Sum. Given his impressive record, including wins in the 2023 Champion Hurdle and the 2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, he would be a highly popular choice to secure a third victory at the Festival. His form since his return has confirmed that he remains one of the top contenders for the 2025 Champion Hurdle.
Brighterdaysahead
Brighterdaysahead has built an impressive career so far, with nine wins in 10 races. Her only defeat came when she finished second in last year’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Since then, she has gone on to claim victories at prestigious events like Aintree, Down Royal, and Punchestown. A standout moment came in December when she triumphed by over 30 lengths at Leopardstown, leaving behind notable competitors, including State Man.
With such a strong record and impressive recent form, Brighterdaysahead is a serious contender for the 2025 Champion Hurdle, though she will face tough competition in a race that regularly attracts top-class talent.
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth, a two-time Cheltenham Festival winner, is certainly a force to be reckoned with. She claimed victory in both the 2023 JCB Triumph Hurdle and the Mares’ Hurdle in 2024, showcasing her exceptional talent. However, her impressive run of six successive wins came to a halt when she was defeated by Constitution Hill in the 2024 Christmas Hurdle. Despite that setback, Lossiemouth remains a top contender for the 2025 Champion Hurdle and is expected to be a formidable rival for the returning champion.
State Man
State Man, last year’s Champion Hurdle winner, faces a tough challenge in 2025 if early season form is anything to go by. Despite going off as the odds-on favourite in both November’s Morgiana Hurdle and December’s Neville Hotels Hurdle, he was defeated by Brighterdaysahead on both occasions. The second defeat came in emphatic fashion, with Brighterdaysahead winning by over 30 lengths.
Burdett Road
Missed last year’s Festival through injury but has enjoyed good results on both flat and jumps since then. A win at Cheltenham in November gave some hope that Burdett Road could be a genuine contender for the Champion Hurdle. However, expectations were tempered by a heavy defeat in the Christmas Hurdle, and a loss to Golden Ace since then has opened the door to being redirected towards the County Hurdle.
Golden Ace
Golden Ace is clearly comfortable at Cheltenham, having won the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival, and followed it up with another win there in April. Most recent run was a victory at Wincanton, although this will be a step up in class.
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 planning to bet on the Cheltenham Festival, you’ll definitely want to catch the action as the races unfold. While ITV broadcasts many of the key races, not every race is shown live on free-to-air TV. That’s where bookmaker live streams come in. Many bookmakers offer full coverage of the Cheltenham Festival, often without requiring any deposit or bet to be placed beforehand.
One advantage of using a bookmaker’s live stream is the ability to cash out mid-race. This feature lets you lock in profits or minimise losses depending on how your bet is performing. To make the most of this, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and choose the best bookmaker for live streaming and cash-out options before race day.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle FAQs
What is the Champion Hurdle?
The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival It is run over 2 miles and ½ a furlong and Istabraq is among the most famous winners of the race.
What date is Cheltenham Champion Hurdle 2025?
The Cheltenham Festival is traditionally held during the same week as St Patrick’s Day, with the Champion Hurdle being the headline event on the opening day. For 2025, the race is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 11th March.
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?
Istabraq is one of five horses to have won the Champion Hurdle three times, achieving this remarkable feat 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 will receive £253,215, with the remaining £196,785 distributed among the top 8 finishers. This makes the race not only prestigious in terms of competition but also a great opportunity for all horses finishing in the top spots.
You might also like…
About GrandNational.org.uk
