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 youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Welsh Champion Hurdle Preview
Established in 1969, the Welsh Champion Hurdle is scheduled to take place in October of each year at the Chepstow racecourse, the race is a Class 2 Limited Handicap Hurdle which is open to runners who are aged four years old or older, it is run over a trip of just shy of two miles in which the runners have to jump a total of eight hurdles.
Originally run at Chepstow racecourse, it was dropped from the racing calendar in 2003 after a decline in the number of runners being entered into the race; however, in 2011, the race was revived at Ffos Las. It stayed at Ffos Las until 2025, when it returned to Chepstow as part of a three-day Welsh Racing Festival.
Welsh Champion Hurdle Information:
- Welsh Champion Hurdle Past Winners
- Welsh Champion Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Welsh Champion Hurdle Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Chepstow, then head over to the Chepstow 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. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Chepstow Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Welsh Champion Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 14 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022 when the race had an over-round of 109%. The race in 2019 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 124%, whilst on average over the last 14 renewals of the Welsh 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 Welsh 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 Welsh Champion Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Welsh Champion Hurdle races over the last 14 renewals:
- Effernock Fizz (3:34.43) in 2022
- Nemean Lion (3:37.84) in 2023
- Glory And Fortune (3:40.81) in 2021
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 14 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Welsh Champion Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 13 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +22.80. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Welsh Champion Hurdle.
When looking over the past 14 renewals, a time of 3:34.43 was set by Effernock Fizz in 2022, trained by Cian Michael Collins and ridden by Sam Ewing, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2013 when Medinas won in a time of 5:39.10 for trainer Alan King, who booked Wayne Hutchinson in the saddle.
Welsh Champion Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Welsh Champion Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: No race in 2012, and in 2016, the race was originally scheduled for February but abandoned due to waterlogging; it was rescheduled in October.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 3:59.60 | Celtic Dino (FR) 6yo 11-9 6/4F | Dylan Johnston (3lbs) Sam Thomas (GB) |
| 2024 3:44.86 | Lump Sum (FR) 6yo 11-6 11/10F | Dylan Johnston (5lbs) Sam Thomas (GB) |
| 2023 3:37.84 | Nemean Lion (GER) 6yo 11-4 3/1F | Richard Patrick Kerry Lee (GB) |
| 2022 3:34.43 | Effernock Fizz (IRE) 7yo 10-6 9/2 | Sam Ewing Cian Michael Collins (IRE) |
| 2021 3:40.81 | Glory And Fortune (IRE) 6yo 10-7 11/2 | Stan Sheppard Tom Lacey (GB) |
| 2020 3:41.20 | Sceau Royal (FR) 8yo 11-6 10/1 | Daryl Jacob Alan King (GB) |
| 2019 3:51.00 | Monsieur Lecoq (FR) 5yo 10-5 7/2 | Chester Williams (5lbs) Mrs Jane Williams (GB) |
| 2018 3:47.10 | Silver Streak (IRE) 5yo 10-4 3/1F | Adam Wedge Evan Williams (GB) |
| 2017 3:51.50 | The New One (IRE) 9yo 11-5 2/1F | Mr Z Baker (5lbs) Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2016 3:44.20 | Garde La Victoire (FR) 7yo 11-10 11/4 | Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Welsh Champion Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 13 winners with an additional 22 placings from 122 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
Welsh Champion Hurdle Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Welsh Champion Hurdle over the last 14 renewals, with Paul Nicholls, Sam Thomas, and Alan King having all won the race two times. Paul Nicholls' winners have been with Saphir Du Rheu (2014) and Silsol (2015). Sam Thomas' winners have been with Lump Sum (2024) and Celtic Dino (2025). Alan King winners have been with Medinas (2013) and Sceau Royal (2020).
Here are some of the top Welsh Champion Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 14 renewals (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 8-2-4 | +4.00 | +2.45 |
| Sam Thomas | 5-2-3 | -0.40 | -0.59 |
| Alan King | 3-2-2 | +15.00 | +9.00 |
| Evan Williams | 13-1-3 | -9.00 | -6.70 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 6-1-2 | -3.00 | -2.44 |
| Nicky Henderson | 4-1-3 | -2.71 | -0.63 |
| Philip Hobbs | 3-1-2 | +0.75 | +0.82 |
| Tom Lacey | 2-1-1 | +4.50 | +2.44 |
| Mrs Jane Williams | 2-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.10 |
| Kerry Lee | 2-1-2 | +2.00 | +2.70 |
Welsh Champion Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Welsh Champion Hurdle over the last 14 renewals is Dylan Johnston, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Lump Sum (2024) and Celtic Dino (2025).
Here are some of the top Welsh Champion Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 14 renewals (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Johnston | 2-2-2 | +2.60 | +1.56 |
| Adam Wedge | 4-1-2 | +0.00 | -0.45 |
| Stan Sheppard | 3-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.44 |
| Chester Williams | 2-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.10 |
| Richard Patrick | 2-1-2 | +2.00 | +2.70 |
| Sam Ewing | 1-1-1 | +4.50 | +2.81 |
| Mr Z Baker | 1-1-1 | +2.00 | +1.25 |
| Sean Bowen | 6-0-0 | -6.00 | -6.00 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 5-0-3 | -5.00 | -1.97 |
| Harry Skelton | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
2026 Welsh Champion Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 13, 2, (3, 4, PU), 2, (1, 2), (1, 4), 3, 8, 8, 3, (1, 10), 1, 1
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 14 / 14 (61%) - No bigger than 10/1
- 14 / 14 (62%) - No bigger than 10/1 (LTO)
- 14 / 14 (69%) - Fewer than 9 races (Hcps)
- 14 / 14 (72%) - Within the first 7 of the market
- 14 / 14 (74%) - Achieved a TS of 119+ (Career)
- 14 / 14 (75%) - Held an OR of 131+ (Career)
- 14 / 14 (76%) - Achieved a TS of 91+ (Last Win)
- 14 / 14 (76%) - Achieved a TS of 94+ (Going)
- 14 / 14 (77%) - Achieved an RPR of 131+ (Last 3)
- 14 / 14 (79%) - Highest Won is not Cl3/Cl5
- 14 / 14 (80%) - Highest Placed is not Cl3-4
- 14 / 14 (80%) - Is not GB bred
- 14 / 14 (82%) - Won by at least ¾ (Last Win)
- 14 / 14 (87%) - Ran in 1 - 19 races (Further)
- 14 / 14 (88%) - Achieved an RPR of 113+ (Going)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Chepstow racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Welsh 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 Welsh Champion Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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Welsh Champion Hurdle Trend Analysis
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners were GB-bred, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-26.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Welsh Champion Hurdle is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Aintree; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Aintree last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 13 winners from a total of 118 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 9 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Welsh Champion Hurdle; that stallion, Doctor Dino, has produced 2 winners (2025,2020).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Welsh Champion Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Dylan Thomas (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 14 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Sceau Royal in 2020, winning for Alan King at odds of 10/1 under the guidance of Daryl Jacob. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 14 renewals, there have been 6 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Welsh Champion Hurdle, head over to see which other runners today are being backed by the best racing tipsters.
Route to the Welsh Champion Hurdle
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Welsh Champion Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Celtic Dino Aintree - 3rd of 17 (9/4) | National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle |
| 2024 - Lump Sum Aintree - 5th of 6 (9/1) | Top Novices Hurdle |
| 2023 - Nemean Lion Kelso - 1st of 11 (4/1) | Premier Kelso Hurdle |
| 2022 - Effernock Fizz Tipperary - 2nd of 5 (10/1) | Istabraq Hurdle |
| 2021 - Glory And Fortune Plumpton - 1st of 6 (5/2) | Friends & Family Remembering Norman Sharpe Handicap Hurdle |
| 2020 - Sceau Royal Cheltenham - 5th of 5 (10/1) | Queen Mother Champion Chase |
| 2019 - Monsieur Lecoq Cheltenham - 10th of 24 (13/2) | County Handicap Hurdle |
| 2018 - Silver Streak Haydock - 1st of 16 (13/2) | Swinton Handicap Hurdle |
| 2017 - The New One Sandown - 4th of 8 (5/2) | Select Hurdle |
| 2016 - Garde La Victoire Aintree - F of 8 (7/2) | Manifesto Novices Chase |
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 Welsh Champion Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
