Cheltenham Tips: Champion Hurdle Tips, Predictions, & Betting Preview From Expert Panel

Cheltenham tips are coming your way, and this time, it’s Champion Hurdle tips as our expert panel gave us their predictions for the 16:00 race on day 1 at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival. It is the most prestigious hurdle race in National Hunt racing. The contenders for the big prize will duel it out over 2 miles and navigate 8 hurdles.

2023 race winner Constitution Hill returns to the scene of his greatest victory as the favourite. But with last year’s Champion Hurdle winner State Man in the field alongside impressive mares like Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth; can Nicky Henderson’s star hurdler justify favouritism and put his name among the Cheltenham greats?

Ahead of this year’s Festival, we assembled a panel of horse racing experts. Namely, BoyleSports Horse Racing Ambassadors Robbie Power and Bryan Cooper, trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon, pro punter Johnny Dineen, and Willie Mullins assistant trainer David Casey.

At BoyleSports 2025 Cheltenham Festival Preview Night, hosted by David Jennings of the Racing Post, our panel of horse racing experts discussed in-depth all of the key betting angles for each race of the Cheltenham Festival, including the Champion Hurdle.

Watch their preview of the Champion Hurdle in the video below, and you can continue scrolling down to read each panellist’s tips and add them to your bet slip.

Champion Hurdle Odds – 2025 Cheltenham Festival – 16:00 Race on Tuesday, Day 1

Champion Hurdle Tips & Preview

Johnny Dineen – Brighterdaysahead

Constitution Hill is a really good horse, a brilliant horse up until 2 years ago. He’s had his issues obviously. He’s coming back here after colic and wind operations and lots of things that go wrong with horses.

If it was 2 years ago I would say there would be no betting but it isn’t. And horses that have issues, and the boys will probably know more about horses than me, will know that they can resurface at any stage. And they are more likely to resurface in my opinion in a real hot contest. And this is going to be a hot end-to-end gallop.

Ok, he won’t have any problem lining up with any kind of a gallop if he was at his peak. If he was, when he was at his peak – now he could still be at his peak for all I know – but I’m guessing of all the skinny-priced horses at the meeting, this is the one horse to me that looks vulnerable.

I’m not saying that he definitely won’t win but there must be a chance that he’s not going to be at his peak and that maybe the likes of King of Kingsfield going fast, the other horse Brighterdaysahead three lengths or 2 lengths off of it and he has to chase her down. Then you have Lossiemouth on his tail as well. So he has to catch the one in front and watch the one behind him coming as well so that’s two huge opponents.

I’d be a layer of him anyways, of Constitution Hill, I’d take my chances that something will go wrong and I’d be siding with Brigtherdaysahead.

I couldn’t really see State Man winning back-to-back Champion Hurdles but look I’ve been wrong before as Shark is telling me there… [panel laughter].

I don’t really fancy State Man, I think there are 3 runners, the favourite and the 2 mares. I’d be surprised if State Man was good enough. Even at his peak he might struggle in this year’s renewal. I’ll go with Brighterdaysahead.

Johnny Dineen’s Champion Hurdle Tip: Brighterdaysahead – 2/1

John ‘Shark’ Hanlon – Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill won’t get beaten. I can’t understand, and Gordon Elliott is a very clever man. I know if I had Brighterdaysahead I’d be going for the Mares’ Hurdle. I don’t think she’s good enough. Constitution Hill is a very good horse, he’s a class horse. I know he has to give 7 pounds to Brighterdaysahead but he will and he’ll beat her. Definitely now that Johnny’s said that [that he’s laying Constitution Hill], this is going to be the bet of the meeting.

John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s Champion Hurdle Tip: Constitution Hill – 4/6

Robbie Power – Brighterdaysahead

If I had a choice of which horse I’d want to ride for this Champion Hurdle, I’d take a chance on the mare Brighterdaysahead. I think you have the bare bones of the form, great training performance from Nicky Henderson in Kempton. Lossiemouth never turned up but he was going to beat Burdett Road by 4 or 5 lengths, he made a horrendous mistake at the last, he would have finished second. He’s rated 144, that’s a long way off Champion Hurdle form.

The last day in Cheltenham was a non-event. It was a bad race and he didn’t look more than you’d expect him to do. I think the mares getting the 7 pounds have a big, big chance of beating him. It was a huge performance in Leopardstown at Christmas and if she can back that up, she has a great chance.

My worry about the Champion Hurdle is will King of Kingsfield be able to lead her for long enough, because when she gets to the front she won’t do enough to maintain the gallop to keep herself going, to turn it into a stamina test. I just don’t know if King of Kingsfield will lead her for long enough.

Robbie Power’s Champion Hurdle Tip: Brighterdaysahead – 2/1

Bryan Cooper – Lossiemouth

I don’t know if this will be a first Champion Hurdle for Gordon Elliott with Brighterdaysahead. Yes, it was very, very good what she did in Leopardstown. But the ones behind her never took part at all. State Man was never going. There was a similar performance of Apple’s Jade but Apple’s Jade goes back and she gets turned over.

It would be very hard for her to go out that hard in a Champion Hurdle and sustain it. Obviously, Puppy said that King of Kingsfield mightn’t be able to keep her going long enough. I just think Lossiemouth isn’t getting the credit she deserves for her Kempton run. She was only beaten by 2-and-a-half lengths by Constitution Hill. I’ve rode a lot for Willie Mullins’ horses and they’re not at peak for Christmas time, the more the season goes on they get better. I just thought she did a lot to get as close as she did, considering how flat-out she was the whole way.

Bryan Cooper’s Champion Hurdle Tip: Lossiemouth – 5/1

David Casey – Constitution Hill

If the Champion Hurdle were today, I would say that Paul Townend would ride State Man . There’s no truth to the speculation that State Man was absolutely exhausted after his last run at Leopardstown. He’s fine, I’ve been riding him out the last 3 weeks, he’s A1.

I think State Man can win back-to-back Champion Hurdles. I think he didn’t get the credit for winning last year. People say he didn’t beat Irish Point far enough, he doesn’t do a lot in front. But on all known form I think the percentage call is Constitution Hill. He was good in Kempton, he was better again in what was a weaker race the last day. You saw the work before the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and I think he’d probably be the percentage call for me.

Lossiemouth is A1 since her fall. People were ringing me the other day saying they heard she was on two legs. She was riding out 2 days later, there’s not a bother on her, she's A1.

If I were still riding and I was the #1 jockey in Closutton I would probably ride State Man.

David Casey’s Champion Hurdle Tip: Constitution Hill – 4/6

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