You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Champion Hurdle Preview
First run in 1927, the Champion Hurdle is the final leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling (following the Fighting Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle). This Grade 1 is open to horses aged four years or older and is held annually on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March. It is contested over approximately 2 miles and 87 yards on the Old Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, featuring eight hurdles.
Five horses have gone on to win the Champion Hurdle a record three times; they were all consecutive years, with the most recent of those being Istabraq, who won in 1998, 1999 & 2000.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Champion Hurdle will hold the title of 'Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy'.
Sharpen your Champion Hurdle predictions with our in-depth study of past race trends and trainer performance, then maximise your returns with the Cheltenham free bets.
Champion Hurdle Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Cheltenham, then head over to the Cheltenham tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. We cover every race at the Cheltenham Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Champion Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2023, when the race had an over-round of 108%. The race in 2020 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 128%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Champion Hurdle, the over-round has been 118%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £118 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Champion Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Champion Hurdle Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Champion Hurdle Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Champion Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Annie Power (3:45.10) in 2016
- Jezki (3:45.25) in 2014
- Brave Inca (3:50.00) in 2006
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Champion Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 12 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -1.10. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Annie Power, trained by W P Mullins and ridden by R Walsh, who set the fastest winning time in the Champion Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 3:45.10 in 2016. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer W P Mullins and jockey Paul Townend with State Man who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 4:13.88 in the 2024 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Champion Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Champion Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Champion Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 3:56.12 | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo 11-3 25/1 | Lorcan Williams Jeremy Scott (GB) |
| 2024 4:13.88 | State Man (FR) 7yo 11-10 2/5F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 3:59.38 | Constitution Hill (GB) 6yo 11-10 4/11F | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2022 3:50.13 | Honeysuckle (GB) 8yo 11-3 8/11F | Rachael Blackmore Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2021 3:54.63 | Honeysuckle (GB) 7yo 11-3 11/10F | Rachael Blackmore Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2020 4:07.03 | Epatante (FR) 6yo 11-3 2/1F | Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2019 3:59.07 | Espoir DAllen (FR) 5yo 11-10 16/1 | Mark Walsh Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
| 2018 4:05.00 | Buveur DAir (FR) 7yo 11-10 4/6F | Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2017 3:50.90 | Buveur DAir (FR) 6yo 11-10 5/1 | Noel Fehily Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2016 3:45.10 | Annie Power (IRE) 8yo 11-3 5/2F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Champion Hurdle have been based:
- IRE: 11 winners with an additional 17 placings from 96 runners
- GB: 9 winners with an additional 21 placings from 128 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- GER: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 Champion Hurdle Replay
Champion Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Champion Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is W P Mullins, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Hurricane Fly (2011 & 2013), Faugheen (2015), Annie Power (2016) and State Man (2024). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Champion Hurdle is Henry De Bromhead (2 wins).
Here are the Champion Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 36-5-14 | -22.92 | -13.79 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 8-2-3 | -4.17 | -3.80 |
| Paul Nicholls | 8-1-2 | +4.00 | +0.10 |
| Jeremy Scott | 2-1-1 | +24.00 | +14.63 |
| Gordon Elliott | 9-0-3 | -9.00 | -1.75 |
| Dan Skelton | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
Champion Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Here are the Champion Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend (Lossiemouth) | 14-1-7 | -12.60 | -3.97 |
| Lorcan Williams (Golden Ace) | 1-1-1 | +25.00 | +15.63 |
| Jack Kennedy (Brighterdaysahead) | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | -0.75 |
| Danny Mullins (Poniros) | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -1.50 |
| Mr P W Mullins (Anzadam) | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -2.50 |
| Harry Skelton (The New Lion) | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
2026 Champion Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 6, 14, 3, 10, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, 1, DSQ, 1, 6, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, F
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (52%) - Break of 24 - 108 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (52%) - No bigger than 3/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (56%) - Break of 24 - 78 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (64%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 20 / 20 (66%) - Had 1 - 3 wins (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (70%) - No bigger than 7/2 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Won within last 3 starts
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Held an OR of 138+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Placed within last 2 starts
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Beaten no more -11½l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Had 5 - 18 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - No bigger than 40/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not BB/BR/GR/RG in colour
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not on GD/STD-SLW/STD (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (57%) - Achieved an RPR of 155+ (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Champion Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Champion Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Champion Hurdle Trend Shortlist
Cheltenham will host the 2026 renewal of the Champion Hurdle, which will be run at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, 10th March 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Brighterdaysahead (9/2)
- Gordon Elliott (9-0-3 -9.00 / -1.75)
- Jack Kennedy (5-0-2 -5.00 / -0.75)
Others: Alexei (14/15), The New Lion (14/15), Lossiemouth (14/15), Tutti Quanti (12/15), Golden Ace (11/15), Workahead (6/15), Anzadam (6/15) and Poniros (3/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (11:40 am Sunday 8th March 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
The New Lion won the International Hurdle last time out, and a total of 4 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -13.55.
Tutti Quanti won the Newbury Handicap Hurdle last time out, and a total of 0 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -19.00.
Brighterdaysahead won the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out, and a total of 7 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -2.78.
Champion Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +19.49, is when runners had 1 place in the past 90 days.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 places in the past 90 days, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-76.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Champion Hurdle is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Kempton; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Kempton last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 15 winners from a total of 213 runners, while female runners have produced 5 winners from a total of 15 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Champion Hurdle:
- Crillon (2 Wins)
- Montjeu (2 Wins)
- Sulamani (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Champion Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Beat Hollow (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Perugino (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Golden Ace in 2025, winning for Jeremy Scott at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Lorcan Williams. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 11 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the Champion Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Champion Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Golden Ace Wincanton - 1st of 4 (6/5) | BetMGM Kingwell Hurdle |
| 2024 - State Man Leopardstown - 1st of 4 (2/5) | Irish Champion Hurdle |
| 2023 - Constitution Hill Kempton - 1st of 5 (1/6) | Christmas Hurdle |
| 2022 - Honeysuckle Leopardstown - 1st of 5 (1/5) | Irish Champion Hurdle |
| 2021 - Honeysuckle Leopardstown - 1st of 6 (10/11) | Irish Champion Hurdle |
| 2020 - Epatante Kempton - 1st of 10 (2/1) | Christmas Hurdle |
| 2019 - Espoir DAllen Naas - 1st of 5 (4/9) | Limestone Lad Hurdle |
| 2018 - Buveur DAir Sandown - 1st of 3 (1/16) | Betfred "Supports Jack Berry House" Contenders Hurdle |
| 2017 - Buveur DAir Sandown - 1st of 4 (1/4) | Betfred "Follow Us On Twitter" Contenders Hurdle |
| 2016 - Annie Power Punchestown - 1st of 3 (1/20) | punchestown.com Mares Hurdle |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day, when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle. The feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo - 7/2 | Rebecca Curtis Ben Jones |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it, and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Turners Novices Hurdle | The New Lion (GB) 6yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Lecky Watson (IRE) 7yo - 20/1 | W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe |
| 14:40 Cheltenham BetMGM Cup | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo - 5/2 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 5/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Jazzy Matty (FR) 6yo - 15/2 | Cian Collins Danny Gilligan |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 4/1 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
Schedule for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival
Halfway through the festival and onto day three, where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 7/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Daily Present (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Paul Nolan Mr B T Stone |
Schedule for Friday at the Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the festival and the feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Poniros (GB) 4yo - 100/1 | W P Mullins Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Kargese (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo - 15/2 | Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo - 28/1 | S Curling Mr R James |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Champion Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Cheltenham Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Cheltenham racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January
Races in January (Festival Trials Day)
- Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase
- Classic Novices' Hurdle
- Cleeve Hurdle
- Cotswold Chase
- International Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial
- Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Races in April
Races in October (Showcase Meeting)
Races in November (November Meeting)
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
- Hyde Novices' Hurdle
- Shloer Chase
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
- JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
- Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Greatwood Hurdle
- November Meeting Handicap Chase
