Ante-post betting for next month’s Stan James Champion Hurdle is in disarray after the news last week that Annie Power will not defend her title at Cheltenham. There must also be a big doubt about stablemate Faugheen after he missed his planned comeback in the Irish Champion Hurdle – the 2015 winner may be running out of time in his bid to regain his crown but has been left in the betting as favourite (a best 5/2).
Several bookmakers are already going non-runner, no bet on the Champion Hurdle and several other big races at the Cheltenham Festival and that is a nice insurance policy to have with so many plans still to be finalised. There was a further worry for backers this week with Yanworth withdrawn from Saturday’s Contenders’ Hurdle at Sandown because of a minor muscle problem. The Alan King-trained chestnut has won six of his seven starts over timber but is now out to a best 11/2 with Ladbrokes for the Champion Hurdle.
Stan James are not one of those to have declared non-runner, no-bet on Cheltenham’s big races so far but the Champion Hurdle sponsors are best odds on several leading fancies in their feature.
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Buveur D’Air has been introduced into the betting at 8/1 by Stan James after trainer Nicky Henderson announced that the six-year-old, owned by JP McManus, would revert to hurdles. He was third behind stable companion Altior in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last March and could have his prep race in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso this month as his career over fences is put on hold.
Stable companion Brain Power is 10/1 for the Champion Hurdle with the sponsors who have priced up Petit Mouchoir at 5/1. The latter has won the Ryanair Hurdle and the Irish Champion Hurdle recently, though was twice beaten by Buveur D’Air last season. Min has one quote of 4/1 but is rated extremely doubtful and stable companion Yorkhill would have to be supplemented.
Champion Hurdle Current Best Odds
Faugheen (5/2), Petit Mouchoir (5/1), Yanworth (11/2), Buveur D’Air and Yorkhill (8/1), Brain Power (10/1), Jezki (16/1), Superb Story, The New One and Vroum Vroum Mag (20/1), Apples Jade (25/1), Footpad, Nichols Canyon and Wicklow Brave (33/1)
