Champion Hurdle betting offers & tips, including 5/1 pick

The feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival is the Champion Hurdle as Dan Skelton leads the British charge with The New Lion and top-class mares Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead lead the Irish challenge.

Last year’s winner Golden Ace is almost the forgotten horse in a nine-strong line-up going for Champion Hurdle glory in the Cotswolds at 16:00 on day one.

Our betting expert has provided their tips for the race, and we can also reveal details around Midnite’s exciting new customer offer, which sees you receive £30 in free bets to use on races at Cheltenham.

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Midnite‘s sign up offer is definitely one we recommend checking out, as you receive £30 in free bets when you place a £10 bet, especially for those wanting to bet on races at Cheltenham this week, including the Champion Hurdle.

With multiple races on every day this week from Tuesday-Friday, there are plenty of opportunities to make the most of your free bets.

Champion Hurdle Betting Tips

Check out our betting selections for the race below.

• NAP: The New Lion @ 9/4
• Next Best: Brighterdaysahead @ 5/1

Lossiemouth takes over as favourite

After she was declared for this race instead of the Mares’ Hurdle she has won two years in succession, Lossiemouth immediately unshipped The New Lion as favourite for the Champion Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ mare is a perfect 4-4 at this venue, including three festival wins. She has shown signs of frailty, however, when dismissed by Constitution Hill in the 2024 Christmas Hurdle and beaten last month by Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

Connections swerved this contest a year ago and must have scratched their heads in dismay as the big three in the betting either fell or toiled. Redemption is not certain, despite the application of a pair of cheekpieces to sharpen up Paul Townend’s partner now.

She has strong claims on her best form and her Cheltenham record cannot be ignored in haste, but perhaps last year’s missed opportunity will be defining.

Lion can roar for Skeltons

Dan and Harry Skelton will be aiming for a first Champion Hurdle as THE NEW LION goes into battle.

Leading the trainers’ championship by a handsome distance, Dan will surely win that crown for the first time this season and a landmark first Championship-race win in the Cotswolds would be quite the prelude.

The New Lion was a Grade 1 novice winner here last season in the Turners. He didn’t appear again until the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in November where he came down before all the buttons were pressed.

That’s his only defeat in six over timber, with an International Hurdle success here in January on the books since. That was a slowly-run race and Harry Skelton rode him patiently with education in mind. He should be much better here, going a solid gallop that looks likely with Tutti Quanti in the field.

He still has plenty of upside and The New Lion looks a major player for birthday boy JP McManus as he aims for a record-extending 10th success in the Champion Hurdle and his first since Epatante in 2020.

• Champion Hurdle Betting Tip 1: NAP: The New Lion @ 9/4

Brighterdaysahead can banish Cheltenham blues

It’s fair to suggest that BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD hasn’t sparkled in her two Cheltenham appearances.

She has twice been behind the re-opposing Golden Ace and last year’s Champion Hurdle was particularly disappointing as both Constitution Hill and State Man fell.

Gordon Elliot remains convinced his mare wasn’t right last March and that she will display her true colours this time around.

She beat Lossiemouth in the Irish Champion at the Dublin Racing Festival last month, reversing form from her December comeback run. The Cullentra handler anticipates some further progress from that Leopardstown win and the Gigginstown mare can finally get one over on Golden Ace and prove the biggest threat to The New Lion.

• Champion Hurdle Betting Tip 2: Next Best: Brighterdaysahead @ 5/1