Champion Hurdle Form

This is the page that many will find most useful in their search for the 2012 Cheltenham Festival, Champion Hurdle winner. We will endeavour to keep you updated on all the relevant pieces of form in the build up to the big race in March.

The first place to start is to look back on the 2011 Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle result and go through the race review which will highlight the horses that will look to battle once again this season.

Some of the races we have been following this season include the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, that race along with the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and the Champion Hurdle itself make up the Triple Crown of Hurdling. Each of these races have offered us plenty of clues for the Champion Hurdle and feature in the form guide.

Champion Hurdle Trial Races

• Greatwood Hurdle Result
• Fighting Fifth Hurdle Result
• International Hurdle Result
• Christmas Hurdle Betting Result
• Irish Champion Hurdle Result

Champion Hurdle 2012 Racecard/Form

We have seen two potential Champion Hurdle contenders from Ireland have a run and it was The Real Article who won the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal to further his claims. In the same race was the exciting Oscars Well who could only manage third, he is likely to come on for the run though and should be given another chance.

The Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham is often a good Champion Hurdle Trial and we had an impressive winnner in Brampour for Paul Nicholls. It was an impressive win as he stayed on up the hill at Cheltenham but it does remain to be seen if he takes his chance in the Champion hurdle itself.

Nicky Henderson looks to have a massively strong hand for the Champion Hurdle this season and in Grandouet he could have a real star on his hands. He fell on his first start at Wincanton when looking the likely winner but made no mistake at Haydock when he won the Betfair Hurdle in some style. Grandouet simply hacked up at Haydock to impress everyone and he now looks a real Champion Hurdle contender. He has enhanced those claims further within an impressive win in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in top company, he beat the likes of Brampour and Overturn in style and looks to be on an upward curve.

Willie Mullins has a decision to make with Thousand Stars after he won the Morgiana Hurdle in some style at Punchestown. He was fourth in the Champion Hurdle last season and seems to have improved again which is a positive. Mullins has been quick to say he will be entered for the Champion Hurdle and the World Hurdle so punters may want to hold fire.

Overturn has made a thrilling start to the season with two consecutive wins in class races, he won the Coral Hurdle at Ascot after Oscar Whisky fell at the last when both were in a great battle. The Donald McCain horse followed up with a win in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle as he held off 2010 Champion Hurdler Binocular in some style. Binocular and Overturn rematched on Boxing Day at Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle and on this time it was Binocular who claimed the win with Overturn back in third. The 2010 Champion Hurdler had improved for his Fighting Fifth run as he held off the exciting Rock On Ruby in an exciting finish at Kempton.

The mare, Unaccompanied, has also emerged as Champion Hurdle contender after she won the Istabraq Festival Hurdle in style over Christmas. She was second in the Triumph Hurdle last season and after beating Thousand Stars with some easy over Christmas now looks ready to swerve Quevega in the Mares race and head for the Champion Hurdle for Dermot Weld.

That has been put in some doubt though after the mare was soundly beaten by Hurricane Fly who won the Irish Champion hurdle in some style recently at Leopardstown. The Willie Mullins horse was making his seasonal debut and hacked up to with plenty in hand ahead of Oscars Well and Thousand Stars on soft ground. Hurricane Fly looked as good as ever and on this form has to be the hot favourite to retain the Champion Hurdle he won so well in 2011.

• Champion Hurdle 2010/11 Form Guide and Race Card

Cheltenham Festival - Betting Tips