This the day when the hopes of a season either come to fruition or are washed down the drain of disappointment. Did that equine flu outbreak severely impact the preparation of the home team? Are the Irish challengers up to the usual standard? Will it be Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott or Nicky Henderson that grabs the headlines and can Buveur D’Air win his third Champion Hurdle in a row and emulate the likes of Persian War, See You Then and Istabraq?
This year’s Unibet Champion Hurdle has all the hallmarks of a classic. Buveur D’Air’s long unbeaten run came to an end at the hooves of stablemate Verdana Blue in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton in December. An earlier win in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle has largely been devalued and he had little to beat at Sandown last month, even though the second has won since. JP McManus’ eight-year-old only beat Melon by half-a-length last year and that one has failed to frank the form so the reigning champ looks vulnerable against a couple of very classy Irish mares who get a 7lb weight allowance.
Apple’s Jade shrugged off worries about a drop back to 2m when extending her winning run to four in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown but bookmakers probably over-reacted to that wide-margin success and she has been beaten twice at The Festival over distances that probably suit her better.
LAURINA (a general 4/1) won a Grade 2 race over 2m at The Festival last year by 18 lengths and later won a mares’ Grade 1 at Fairyhouse. She’s been kept under the radar this season but has extended her unbeaten record for the Mullins stable with the minimum of fuss and wouldn’t be aiming this high if she wasn’t thought capable of going very close.
Champion Hurdle Winners Since 1991
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2018 | Buveur D’Air | 7 | N Fehily | N Henderson |
| 2017 | Buveur D’Air | 6 | N Fehily | N Henderson |
| 2016 | Annie Power | 8 | R Walsh | W Mullins |
| 2015 | Faugheen | 7 | R Walsh | W Mullins |
| 2014 | Jezki | 6 | B Geraghty | J Harrington |
| 2013 | Hurricane Fly | 9 | R Walsh | W Mullins |
| 2012 | Rock On Ruby | 7 | N Fehily | P Nicholls |
| 2011 | Hurricane Fly | 7 | R Walsh | W Mullins |
| 2010 | Binocular | 6 | A McCoy | N Henderson |
| 2009 | Punjabi | 6 | B Geraghty | N Henderson |
| 2008 | Katchit | 5 | R Thornton | A King |
| 2007 | Sublimity | 7 | P Carberry | J Carr |
| 2006 | Brave Inca | 8 | A McCoy | C Murphy |
| 2005 | Hardy Eustace | 8 | C O’Dwyer | D Hughes |
| 2004 | Hardy Eustace | 7 | C O’Dwyer | D Hughes |
| 2003 | Rooster Booster | 9 | R Johnson | P Hobbs |
| 2002 | Hors La Loi III | 7 | D Gallagher | J Fanshawe |
| 2001 | NO RACE | |||
| 2000 | Istabraq | 8 | C Swan | A O’Brien |
| 1999 | Istabraq | 7 | C Swan | A O’Brien |
| 1998 | Istabraq | 6 | C Swan | A O’Brien |
| 1997 | Make A Stand | 6 | A McCoy | M Pipe |
| 1996 | Collier Bay | 6 | G Bradley | J Old |
| 1995 | Alderbrook | 6 | N Williamson | K Bailey |
| 1994 | Flakey Dove | 8 | M Dwyer | R Price |
| 1993 | Granville Again | 7 | P Scudamore | M Pipe |
| 1992 | Royal Gait | 9 | G McCourt | J Fanshawe |
| 1991 | Morley Street | 7 | J Frost | T Balding |
| 1990 | Kribensis | 9 | R Dunwoody | M Stoute |
Unibet Champion Hurdle Updated Best Odds
Apple’s Jade 9/4, Buveur D’Air 5/2, Laurina 4/1, Sharjah 14/1, Melon 18/1, Espoir D’Allen 20/1, Verdana Blue 22/1, Brain Power 33/1, Global Citizen 40/1, Silver Streak 50/1
(Odds correct at 11.00am March 11)
Whatever Buveur D’Air’s fate, Nicky Henderson and JP McManus should have at least one victory on day one of this year’s Festival as OK CORRAL (a general 3/1) looks as though he’s been prepared with a tilt at the National Hunt Challenge Cup in mind.
This race is confined to amateur jockeys and attracts the elite in that field. No one is stronger or more tactically astute among amateurs than Derek O’Connor. He’s already ridden the winner of the race twice and has been placed several times and got a feel for his mount this year in a Listed race at Warwick. The nine-year-old jumped really well in winning by six lengths and is learning on the job. He had beaten another to today’s fancied runner, Impulsive Star, at Plumpton earlier.
The opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is a cracking contest and the home team are expected to hold their own. AL DANCER (5/1 with Unibet) may just about start favourite as he bids to win his fifth race in a row but faces strong opposition from Colin Tizzard’s Elixir De Nutz, who has already shown a liking for Cheltenham and is a Grade 1 winner, and the Irish challengers Klassical Dream and Felix Desjy.
KALASHNIKOV is the wild card in our day one Lucky 15 at a general 10/1 in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Novices’ Chase. Amy Murphy’s stable star has to turn around a heavy defeat by Glen Forsa at Sandown having also failed to land the odds at Kempton over Christmas but connections retain complete faith in the six-year-old, who was only cut down close home in last year’s Supreme Novices’ at The Festival – the softer the ground gets, the more his chance improves.
