The Champion Hurdle is the highlight of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. Horse racing fans will be eagerly anticipating this year’s renewal, which will take place on Tuesday 16th March 2022.
With an estimated prize fund of £450,000 up for grabs, this is one of the most lucrative races at the Cheltenham Festival. Buveur D’Air proved too strong for his rivals in 2018 but will the Nicky Henderson runner prevail this time around?
The first Champion Hurdle was held in 1927 but it quickly blossomed into one of the most popular races at the Cheltenham Festival.
Horse racing betting markets and ante post Champion Hurdle odds are available well in advance of March these days and punters will be keeping a close eye on betting tips in the coming weeks.
With eight fences to jump and the added drama of this race taking place on the Old Course, the Champion Hurdle truly is one of the best sights in National Hunt racing.
A staple race on the Cheltenham Festival calendar, punters will be eagerly awaiting the opening day of the 2019 meeting.
Buveur D’Air is looking to become only the sixth horse to win the Champion Hurdle on three separate occasions.
Istabraq was the most recent runner to do so, claiming the title in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Buveur D’Air is a 2/1 shot in 888sport Cheltenham Festival Odds to emulate that feat.
Apple’s Jade is the early favourite with 888sport betting to win the Champion Hurdle this year. The Gordon Elliott-trained runner has won 10 Grade One races in her illustrious career and will take some stopping, particularly with the 7lb mares allowance.
Buveur D’Air is next up and the defending champion is still the one to beat despite Apple’s Jade’s imposing record. With Barry Geraghty once again on board, Buveur D’Air will be looking to write himself into the history books with another Cheltenham Festival triumph.
Willie Mullins has an excellent record in this race, training four of the last eight winners. Talented mare Laurina will fly the flag for his stable and it would be foolish to write her off – she cruised to victory in the Mares Novices Hurdle at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival.
Latest Champion Hurdle 2022 Betting Odds:
888sport will be keeping punters updated with all of the major horse racing news, tips and odds ahead of the Cheltenham Festival. For all of the latest racing previews and promotions, the 888sport blog is the place to be.
As is the case every year, our horse racing experts will preview the biggest races at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival – and the Champion Hurdle will take priority on the opening day. Keep an eye on the blog section of the website for our horse racing previews and tips throughout the week, including news on the Cheltenham Gold Cup and more.