2022 Champion Hurdle Tips

Having established herself as the best hurdler in the business, Honeysuckle is the ante-post favourite to retain her Champion Hurdle crown. Champion of 2020, Epatante is a 12/1 shot, while two-time runner-up Sharjah can be found at 25/1.

Honeysuckle's stablemate, Bob Olinger blitzed a classy field to win the 2021 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, and he's the 8/1 second-favourite in the 2022 Champion Hurdle betting. Former Champion Bumper winner, Ferny Hollow sits third, with Triumph Hurdle winner Quilixios a little further back.

Supreme winner Appreciate It features in the ante-post Champion Hurdle market, as does Envoi Allen, who suffered the first defeat of his career at the Cheltenham Festival as he fell early in the Marsh Novices' Chase.

Black Tears edged out Concertista in the 2021 Mares' Hurdle, and both feature in the Champion Hurdle betting. Blue Lord and Haut En Couleurs can also be found in the betting, along with top juvenile Zanahiyr, who only finished fourth in this season's Triumph.

Abacadabras is a 16/1 shot, while Goshen is further adrift at 33/1, alongside Saint Roi and Aspire Tower. Gauloise, French Aseel, Shewearsitwell and Tritonic also feature in the 2022 Champion Hurdle betting.

The highlight on day one of the Cheltenham Festival is the Champion Hurdle. This Championship race was first run at Cheltenham in 1927, and the Champion Hurdle has been won by many of the sport's greatest names.

Brown Jack won the second running of the Champion Hurdle in 1928. He went on to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot for six years on the bounce, as well as victories in the Goodwood Cup, Doncaster Cup and the Ebor.

Insurance was the first two-time winner of the Champion Hurdle, securing back to back wins in 1932 and '33. National Spirit repeated that feat in the late 1940s, before the great Hatton's Grace reeled off a hat-trick of Champion Hurdle triumphs between 1949 and 1951.

The following year, Sir Ken began his own sequence of three Champion Hurdle wins. Other three-time winners include Persian War, See You Then and Instabraq, who secured his hat-trick of victories right at the end of the 20th century.

Four jockeys have won the Champion Hurdle on four separate occasions. Tim Molony rode both Hatton's Grace and Sir Kien, Gold Cup winning jockey Ruby Walsh rode four winners for Willie Mullins, scoring on Faugheen, Annie Power and twice aboard the great Hurricane Fly.

Three of Barry Geraghty's four victories came on Nicky Henderson horses. Henderson is the most successful trainer in the history of the Champion Hurdle, having saddled the winner eight times Whenever you read any Cheltenham Festival tips, Nicky Henderson's name will appear regularly.

Hardy Eustace stole the hearts of the nation with back-to-back Champion Hurdle wins in the mid-2000s. Hurricane Fly was the next superstar to come out of the Champion Hurdle, handing Willie Mullins his first and second victories in 2011 and '13.

Buveur D'Air then secured back-to-back wins for Geraghty and Henderson in 2017 and '18. With his former winner on the sidelines, Henderson turned to top mare Epatante in 2020, and she powered home under Geraghty to secure an impressive victory over four of Ireland's best.

For the second year in a row, a mare reigned supreme at Cheltenham, as unbeaten Honeysuckle powered to a superb victory in the Champion Hurdle.