Champion Hurdle Betting

15:20 Smurfit Champion Hurdle (2m ½f) Result 2009 See Full Result
1. Punjabi (B J Geraghty) 22/1
2. Celestial Halo(R Walsh) 17/2
3. Binocular(A P McCoy) 6/4FAV
23 ran NR 20,

The feature race on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival is undoubtedly the Champion Hurdle, a grade one event run over two miles and a half a furlong.

When looking at results over the last 10 years it is impossible to ignore the fact that the Irish have had a stranglehold on the race they have won it seven times since 1998 and that includes the three times champion of Aiden O'Brien who trained Istabraq. O'Brien won it three times in the late 1990's between the years 1998 and 2000 making him a Cheltenham legend.

Another Irish horse that went onto win it in 2004 and 2005 was Hardy Eustace a gutsy performer who was at his best up the Cheltenham Hill seeing off his other Irish rivals including Brave Inca Harchibald and Macs Joy on more than one occasion.

Brave Inca got his revenge in 2006. The last Irish winner was Sublimity in 2007 and last year saw the emergence of a new star at the age of 5 in Katchit. 

Champion Hurdle Odds

The Odds of the 2009 Champion Hurdle have Binocular as the clear favourite after his top class performances this season. You can keep in touch with all the changes in the markets in the build up to the race by way of our comprehensive Champion Hurdle Odds Comparison service.

Champion Hurdle Form

The Champion Hurdle form generally follows the main Champion Hurdle trials as we go through the season. The Irish Champion Hurdle run at Leopardstown is always a good trial with so many top Irish hurdlers battling it out for the big prize money on offer over on that side of the water.

Last year Sizing Europe put up a great performance in that race but broke down on the home turn when favourite for the race.

The Boylesports International is another top trial with a massive bonus up for grabs for the connections for the winner of this race and the Champion Hurdle. Binocular stole the show in this race this year and is now a firm favourite for March.

Champion Hurdle Results

The previous winners of the Champion Hurdle since the year 2002 have been

2008 Katchit A King 10/1
2007 Sublimity John G Carr 16/1
2006 Brave Inca C Murphy 7/4F
2005 Hardy Eustace D Hughes 7/1F
2004 Hardy Eustace D Hughes 33/1
2003 Rooster Booster P Hobbs 9/2
2002 Hors La Loi III J Fanshawe 10/1

We put up the Champion Hurdle results straight after the race along with a race review featuring how the race was run and won

You can also find our Champion Hurdle tip on this site and this will be available as the festival draws near.

More

• Champion Hurdle Race Information
• Champion Hurdle Odds
• Champion Hurdle Tips
• Champion Hurdle Form
• Champion Hurdle Results