#County Hurdle

Only once since 2010 has the Cheltenham Festival top trainer title been won by a British handler. Proof, as if needed, that the best horses are in Ireland was there for all to see last year. Willie Mullins heads Cheltenham top trainer odds once again with the bookies with what looks a top Festival team. These are our five best betting sites for…

Sheikh Mohammed winning the Champion Hurdle with a horse who'd been first past the post in the Gold Cup at Ascot... Barry Hills and Robert Sangster combining to land the Stayers' Hurdle... Saeed Manana's silks carried to victory in the Sun Alliance Hurdle and a Gold Cup that caused such a rumpus it ended with a Jockey Club Enquiry at Portman Square…

After a week of action, elation, tears and turmoil, the Cheltenham Festival concluded with the Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is one of the richest races in Britain, and this year's crown went to A Plus Tard as Rachael Blackmore created history. Blackmore had a dream 2021 though she made the decision to go with A Plus Tard last year when stablemate Minella…

By Andrew Asquith, Saturday 14 January 2023 Posted in: Cheltenham Festival Tips Andrew Asquith looks ahead to the 2023 Champion Hurdle. The Champion Hurdle is the main race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival and this year's renewal revolves around one horse, and one horse only, Constitution Hill, who produced the best performance by a novice…

We gave you the chance to win £350 worth of free bets with Paddy Power by completing John Randall's festive quiz, with free bets of £100 and £50 going to the runner-up and the third. Find out how you fared and if you finished in the money below. . .

Nicky Henderson's Jonbon was safely tucked away in his Seven Barrows box at Christmas but he still got some festive cheer when Boothill won the Wayward Lad at Kempton. Before that boost - he had easily seen off Harry Fry's horse in the Henry VIII at Sandown - his chasing form had little substance to it (in terms of what he had beaten), even if he…

The Cheltenham Festival doesn't exactly have a rich musical heritage. True, the Irish folk duo who played the nearby Prince Of Wales pub every evening for seemingly 30 years did perform a wonderful rendition of The Ballad Of Dawn Run twice-a-night. And twice-a-night ratings experts took exception to the line "And Wayward Lad, he knew he'd met the…

Well, we've finally arrived at my final blog of 2022. Have you had enough of racing yet this festive period? Of course not! Let's kick off 2023 as we ended 2022, with more superb sport headlined by Cheltenham's New Year's Day fixture. The first horse I'm pinning my hopes on to get the new year off to a flyer is SECRET REPRIEVE in the AIS Handicap…

The treats are going to come thick and fast for racing fans over the Christmas week. They include Leopardstown's four-day Christmas Festival, which begins on St Stephen's Day (December 26). This is a superb meeting with a wide array of Graded contests, competitive handicaps and informative bumpers for punters to enjoy. Danny Archer looks ahead to…

Eight days later than advertised, Newbury's Betfair Hurdle will take place on Sunday afternoon, giving racing fans a nice boost after the original card was lost to freezing temperatures last Saturday. The Betfair Hurdle (3.35pm) is the feature race on "Super Sunday" at Newbury and has attracted a top-class field of 24 runners. Our tipster has a…

To get my excuses in first, Newbury on New Year's Eve provided just about the worst possible conditions for anyone trying to glean meaningful observations from the paddock. Rain that was supposed to be off and on was never off, the wind was blowing and the horses were well rugged up until as late as possible. Just keeping my notes from being soggy…

A NEW kid on the block has emerged as the main danger to Constitution Hill at Cheltenham. Nicky Henderson's wonder horse is as short as 2-7 for the Champion Hurdle and notched his fourth straight Grade 1 win at Kempton on Boxing Day. Opposition towards him at the Festival in March was looking very thin on the ground, especially with Honeysuckle…

Mares' Hurdle champion Marie's Rock faces a considerable challenge on the first stop towards her Cheltenham Festival defence, but trainer Nicky Henderson hopes the mares' allowance will give her the advantage. The eight-year-old is against geldings in open company for the first time and also lacks the match fitness of all eight rivals, with this…

State Man continued his march towards a likely clash with Constitution Hill at the Cheltenham Festival in March with a comprehensive victory in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown. Nicky Henderson's Constitution Hill is long odds-on to lift the Champion Hurdle crown in March following his latest demolition job in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on…

Ruby Walsh has offered his expert insight into the upcoming Cheltenham Festival with the legendary jockey expecting another thrilling week of action in England. Walsh is no stranger to Cheltenham having been the leading jockey 11 times at the Festival, nabbing 59 winners and twice racing to Gold Cup glory. And previewing the races, Walsh is backing…

Nicky Henderson's Constitution Hill is long odds-on to lift the Champion Hurdle crown in March following his latest demolition job in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day. And while connections of the unbeaten five-year-old are unlikely to be quaking in their boots, State Man gave further evidence he may well prove his biggest threat with…

Loughderg Rocco: hurdle winner got off the mark over fences at Leicester Wednesday: Leicester All eyes were on Unexpected Party, who was third in Grade 1 company behind Arkle favourite Jonbon last time, but the odds-on favourite was comprehensively turned over by Loughderg Rocco in the 2m4f novice chase. The six-year-old was only beaten half a…

State Man and Paul Townend race away from their rivals to win in style Friday: Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle, Punchestown On a day when Willie Mullins notched his 200th win of the season, the Closutton maestro emerged from Punchestown with a fresh Champion Hurdle prospect in the form of State Man. The Marie Donnelly-owned five-year-old added…

Jockey Adam Wedge will miss the Cheltenham Festival next week after sustaining a fracture to his T12 at Newbury on Friday. Wedge won last year's Stayers' Hurdle on Lisnagar Oscar, and is expected to be replaced by Tom O'Brien on Tuesday's Champion Hurdle hope Silver Streak. Trainer Evan Williams said: "Adam has a fracture to his T12 - he did it at…

28 races over four days of action inside Cheltenham Racecourse will come to an end on Friday afternoon, with the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle concluding the 2022 Festival. The Martin Pipe was established in 2009 in honour of the master trainer who saddled 34 Festival winners and is the only hurdles race at the Festival restricted to conditional…

Another blank week of jumps racing has forced me, not unreluctantly I should add, to widen the scope of the column this week. The latest prolonged cold snap might not have been as severe as some of those in my living memory - December in 1981 in Newcastle in my second year at Uni living in a soon-to-be-condemned terrace in Elswick with three others…

Tickets have been snapped up by fans eager to return to the Cheltenham Festival, after no crowds in 2021. Willie Mullins and Rachael Blackmore are two of the big names chasing winners Chris Hughes takes a tour of Dan Skelton's racing stables before Cheltenham Fans are counting down the days to the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. One of the biggest weeks…

Thyme Hill is fancied to finally land a big Cheltenham win in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle. Philip Hobbs' runner, 5-1 with bookies Betfred, has past champions to see off in Thursday's feature. Over 60000 people will be at the track on St Patrick's Day, all hoping to find some winners. Unlike 2021, when Ireland dominated, the British runners are…

FAKIR D'OUDAIRES can land a big prize for Ireland in the Grade 1 Marsh Chase. Joseph O'Brien's chaser is as tough as they come and bounded clear by 11 lengths in this race 12 months ago. Returning in his usual consistent manner, JP McManus' seven-year-old recorded a 15-length score at Grade 2 level in November. There was no disgrace in finding…

eel the roar greeting the opener at the Cheltenham Festival this afternoon and you will soon realise how much you missed it. With two novice races of nine runners or less, day one reflects the field-size issues that have become a major concern in British racing - yet the opener still goes back in time. Nicky Henderson supplies a hot favourite and…

We posed some questions to ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence research system that has been making headlines all over the world for its incredible ability to give convincing answers to requests on a mind-boggling array of subjects, and we wanted to see what this super AI could do with racing. Open AI, the company that developed Chat GPT, says its…

Frost and snow has hit hard in Britain and Ireland but over the festive period ITV are planning on covering action from 14 race meetings, featuring 41 races in total, across six joyous days of high-octane racing. From Boxing Day right through to New Year's Day, the Christmas jumpers are out in force and here we highlight the full schedule including…

The bookmakers reckon the Unibet Champion Hurdle crown may as well be gift-wrapped and popped underneath Constitution Hill's Christmas tree. Last season's runaway Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner was similarly jaw-dropping on his return at Newcastle last month and that, coupled with Honeysuckle fluffing her lines at Fairyhouse on Sunday, means that…

Shishkin bids to give favourite backers the edge on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. The Champion Chase (3.30) favourite has starred for trainer Nicky Henderson, winning twice previously at the meeting. He lines up in the feature with one success for his name over key market rival Energumene. Stablemate Chacun Pour Soi and Nube Negra are others…

Get ready to place your bets and cheer your horses home - the 2022 Cheltenham Festival is here. Fans return to the four-day meeting after missing out last year, with sales hitting record levels. Over 60000 people will watch the thrilling sporting action from the grandstands during the week. The feature Gold Cup, sponsored by Boodles, is wide open…

Rachael Blackmore's mount Honeysuckle is favourite for the feature race on day 1 of Cheltenham Festival 2022. The mighty mare is a short price in the betting with the bookies APPRECIATE IT is fancied to take Honeysuckle's Champion Hurdle (3.30) crown at Cheltenham. Training king Willie Mullins has an outstanding record at getting a horse to peak…

The BHA's new measure states: "From 1 October 2022, novice and juvenile horses will be required to run a minimum of four times (up from three) prior to competing in a Class 1 or Class 2 handicap hurdle race. "Increasing the minimum number of runs from three to four gives the handicappers more information on which to base their assessment, with the…

THE Cheltenham Festival ante post markets have been in full swing since March. Shrewd punters have been busy plotting and predicting how this year's races will finish. Irish trainers dominated last year and with the likes of Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead having such strong yards, it's no surprise many of their superstars lead the way…

Britain surged into an early advantage on day one but the Irish pinned them back late, with the host nation ahead 4-3 going into day two. The Cheltenham action moves on and Wednesday's feature race is the Queen Mother Champion Chase at 3.30pm where unbeaten chaser Shishkin will attempt to continue what has been a superb start to the meeting for…

SIR ALEX FERGUSON, the legendary Manchester United manager, will again be present at the Cheltenham Festival this year. And Fergie is being tipped to land a whopping £250000 windfall at Prestbury Park! The Manchester United great is one of the co-owners of superstar chaser Protektorat, his sole charge this year. Trained by Dan Skelton, the…

The John Quinn-trained Highfield Princess looks terrific each-way value in Friday's Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes. The unbeaten Royal Aclaim is favourite with the bookies Sonnyboyliston ridden by Ben Coen winning the 2021 Sky Bet Ebor Handicap Headline act Baaeed kickstarts Ebor week by trying to emulate fellow great Frankel in the Juddmonte…

We're on the road to the Cheltenham Festival with the leading lights of the National Hunt game coming out to play. A number of clues for all four championship races - the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle and Gold Cup - are set to be dropped over the coming months. The Cheltenham Festival 2023 takes place between Tuesday,…

The first Grade One race for hurdlers in Ireland takes place at Punchestown on Sunday, as a select field enters the Morgiana Hurdle. This two-miler has been won by several future Champion Hurdle winners, including Brave Inca, Hurricane Fly and Faugheen and this year's contest will, again, be shown live on ITV Racing. Let's take a look through the…

Saint Roi bids to show he is a true Champion Hurdle contender when he steps up to Grade One company for the first time at Punchestown on Sunday. The five-year-old only made his debut for trainer Willie Mullins in December on his move from France, yet has shot through the ranks on his last three starts. Saint Roi looked destined for the top when…

The good news for those hoping to dent Willie Mullins' domination of the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle is that he has resisted running all six of the runners he left in the race earlier this week. But the bad news is that he still has three live contenders as he seeks to win the Grade One feature for the twelfth time since 2011. Here's a guide to the five…

This race has provided the launchpad to Champion Hurdle-winning campaigns for Brave Inca and Hurricane Fly. State Man - according to the market - is the likeliest candidate to follow the same path from this year's Morgiana Hurdle. Just five go to post for Ireland's opening Grade 1 hurdle of the season, but it still presents an opportunity for us to…

1pt win My Immortal in 3.15 Punchestown at 10/1 (General) Not a big punting day by any means but ITV Racing must be applauded for weaving Sunday's Unibet Morgiana Hurdle into their schedule as we could be looking at a genuine Champion Hurdle contender in action at Punchestown. Without wishing to do Sharjah an injustice, State Man is arguably the…

Racing journalist Gavin Beech looks ahead to the most anticipated battles at the 2022 Punchestown Festival. Five runners go to post for Tuesday's Grade 1 William Hill Champion Chase but barring accidents, the opening day feature should turn into a shoot-out between the best two-mile chasers in Willie Mullins' stable. Chacun Pour Soi has yet to…

Willie Mullins takes this Morgiana Hurdle business seriously. We know that he does, because he has won it 11 times in total, and 10 times since 2011. His one lapse in the last 11 years was in 2020, when Abacadabras beat Saint Roi by a neck. If you had to nominate a point in the season, a weekend in the season, at which the Willie Mullins wheel…

Can the Skeltons land the Scottish Champion Hurdle with West Cork? The Scottish and English Grand National meetings have flip-flopped in the calendar this season and a change in the pattern means Ayr precedes Aintree. The 30-day gap between the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Scottish Champion Hurdle in 2021 is reduced to 15 days this…

Constitution Hill arguably goes into the 2022-23 jumps season as the most exciting horse in training. Last season's stunning Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner sets out on the road to the 2023 Champion Hurdle when he returns in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot this Saturday. The Michael Buckley-owned five-year-old is a red-hot 5/4 favourite to dethrone…

Wesley Ward is anticipating a "great race" as Lady Aurelia and Battaash do battle in Tuesday's feature race, the King's Stand Stakes. American-based horse Lady Aurelia is eyeing a Royal Ascot hat-trick, victorious in the King's 12 months ago and having also won the Queen Mary in 2016. But Battaash is the new kid on the block, looking to stake a…