We reach the first championship fixture of the Cheltenham Festival 2022 as we dive into Champion Hurdle Tips.
Our betting experts look at the field and the latest Champion Hurdle odds to make our selections for this year’s renewal.
This is the big Grade 1 race of Tuesday’s action at the Festival and it’s a 2m test for the best hurdle stars around.
It’s going to be a fascinating renewal with the two leading contenders being Honeysuckle and Appreciate It.
We size up their chances in our Champion Hurdle Tips preview for the 2022 renewal.
Champion Hurdle Racing Odds
Honeysuckle 8/13
Appreciate It 4/1
Teahupoo 9/1
Epatante 16/1
Adagio 20/1
Zanahiyr 20/1
Tommy’s Oscar 33/1
Saint Roi 40/1
Not So Sleepy 80/1
Glory And Fortune 150/1
* (odds recorded at 17:54 GMT on March 14th, 2022 at Unibet)
Horse Racing Betting at Unibet
Table of Contents
- 1 FAV in Champion Hurdle Racing Odds
- 2 Champion Hurdle Betting Contenders
- 3 The Rest of the runners Champion Hurdle Betting
- 4 Last 10 Champion Hurdle Winners at the Cheltenham Festival
- 5 Champion Hurdle Trends
- 6 Champion Hurdle Tips & Predictions Cheltenham Festival 2022
- 7 Cheltenham Festival Betting Offer 2022
Champion Hurdle Race Details Cheltenham Festival
- Grade 1
- 4-year-olds plus
- 10 declared runners
- 2m
- 8 hurdles
- Going: Good To Soft
FAV in Champion Hurdle Racing Odds
The exciting and unebaten HONEYSUCKLE is the current 8/13 favourite in Champion Hurdle odds* (odds recorded at 17:54 GMT on March 14th, 2022 at Unibet).
The brilliant mare is still undefeated in her career and she is back for a title defence of the Champion Hurdle.
It was a stunning performance that she put in 12 months ago at the Cheltenham Festival, taking apart the challenge of Epatante and the rest of the contenders.
It is 14 unbeaten efforts that Honeysuckle has posted in her career and it’s hard to look past the clear threat that she poses.
She was last seen in the Irish Champion last month and took a victory in it by more than six lengths over Zanahiyr.
That followed a dominant season-opening win in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse.
Even though the 2022 renewal of the Champion Hurdle looks stronger than last year, Honeysuckle is a major player.
Champion Hurdle Betting Contenders
Trainer Willie Mullins has taken a strange approach with APPRECIATE IT, who hasn’t had a warm-up run ahead of Cheltenham. That goes against the trends.
Appreciate It bolted up in last year’s Supreme Novices and has the clear ability. H
e had a health problem which meant that he was held back from chasing this season.
The long absence is a clear concern in this fixture for him, but if any trainer is going to have him ready then it is Mullins.
It says a lot about the ability of Appreciate It that he is the current 9/2 second-favourite in Champion Hurdle odds* (odds recorded at 17:54 GMT on March 14th, 2022 at Unibet).
TEAHUPOO has been making a name for himself after taking his form further forward for trainer Gordon Elliott this season.
It’s been three wins from three in this campaign and that’s now a 6-7 record over the fences that Teahupoo has earned.
The latest of his victories was an 11-lengths score on a 2m trip in a Grade 3 Gowran effort in February.
Teahupoo is an exciting prospect, but expecting him to take down Honeysuckle is a big ask.
TOMMY’S OSCAR is another interesting one lining up in the Champion Hurdle 2022.
There are good claims there for a place finish.
Tommy’s Oscar has been improving with each run and landed a score on his first run in Graded company on his latest.
That was at Haydock and it completed a four-timer for him.
The Rest of the runners Champion Hurdle Betting
ADAGIO does have optional and was a runner up at the course and distance on his season -opener.
There was a runner-up spot for him in the Triumph last year as well. He’s not to be discounted.
GLORY AND FORTUNE is going to need more in this one. But he took a big step forward to win the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last time out.
NOT SO SLEEPY earned a dead-heat with Epatante in the Fighting Fifth but was well down on that form on his follow up at the Christmas Hurdle.
SAINT ROI was a long way back from Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion on his latest run which leaves him with a lot to find.
ZANAHIYR has finished second in a Grade 1 on each of his last three runs.
He was 6 lengths back of Honeysuckle on his latest effort.
EPATANTE has won both the Fighting Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle this season.
He was third in last year’s Champion Hurdle and anything more this time around looks like a big ask.
Last 10 Champion Hurdle Winners at the Cheltenham Festival
| Year | Winner | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2021 | Honeysuckle | 11/10F | Rachael Blackmore | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2020 | Epatante | 2/1F | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson |
| 2019 | Espoir D’Allen | 16/1 | Mark Walsh | Gavin Cromwell |
| 2018 | Buveur d’Air | 4/6F | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson |
| 2017 | Buveur d’Air | 5/1F | Noel Fehily | Nicky Henderson |
| 2016 | Annie Power | 5/2F | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2015 | Faugheen | 4/5F | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2014 | Jezki | 9/1 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
| 2013 | Hurricane Fly | 13/8F | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2012 | Rock On Ruby | 11/1 | Noel Fehily | Paul Nicholls |
| 2011 | Hurricane Fly | 11/4F | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
Champion Hurdle Trends
We next move into the Champion Hurdle trends to help narrow down the field a bit for the 2022 renewal of this championship race on Cheltenham Festival Day 1.
While there is a clear market favourite in Champion Hurdle odds for this year’s renewal, it’s worth examining things a little deeper.
Champion Hurdle Trends Cheltenham Festival
- There has been six winning favourites in the last 10 renewals
- Nicky Henderson is the leading trainer in the last 20 renewals five wins
- No active jockey has won the Champion Hurdle more than once
- No bigger than 9/2 last time out 20/20
- A win had been recorded in the past 180 days 20/20
- At least five career wins 20/20
- Made 2-7 starts in the past year 20/20
- Had won within the last 3 starts 19/20
- Was in a field of no more than 10 last time out 19/20
- Had made at least 8 non handicap starts 18/20
- Had previously won with the jockey 17/20
Champion Hurdle Tips & Predictions Cheltenham Festival 2022
HONEYSUCKLE is the obvious first pick in Champion Hurdle odds 2022 at 8/13* (odds recorded at 17:54 GMT on March 14th, 2022 at Unibet).
It is just so hard to see her getting beaten. The fact that she opened the season with such a strong Hatton’s Grace win puts her right in the frame once again.
Honeysuckle has a staggering amount of ability and should be able to land a third-straight win at the Cheltenham Festival as she’s beaten everyone in this field before.
TEAHUPOO is an exciting one and is well worth considering making a run at the place.
He was excellent at Gowran on his latest.
APPRECIATE IT is interesting, despite not having had a run since last year’s Festival.
He was excellent in the Supreme Novices though and it will be fascinating to see what he can bring to the table.
Cheltenham Festival Betting Offer 2022
Bookmaker Unibet is Best Odds Guaranteed for all UK & IRE horse races. That means that if your selection wins at a larger SP than your price taken on that runner, then the bookmaker will pay you at bigger odds.
So for example, if you had made a bet at 6/1 and they won the race at 8/1, you get paid at the 8/1 odds thanks to the Unibet BOG.
Best Odds Guaranteed offer is available daily from 8 am on the day of the race on all UK and Ireland horse racing bets. It applies to single and multiple bets. The offer is not available on ante-post, non-runner no bet, tote/ pari-mutuel (bets and dividends), not to win, enhanced win, cover bets and in-play bets.
Key T&Cs: Offer applies to customers located in the UK, Ireland, and Belgium only. Best Odds Guaranteed offer is available daily from 8 am on the day of the race on all UK and Ireland horse racing bets. It applies to single and multiple bets. The offer is not available on ante-post, non-runner no bet, tote/ pari-mutuel (bets and dividends), not to win, enhanced win, cover bets and in-play bets. Bets placed using a free balance do not qualify for Best Odds Guaranteed.
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