The 2025 Champion Hurdle entries contain just 16 horses, of which a mere six represent UK trainers headed by Constitution Hill, but the field could also include wonder-mares Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth.
Both females are among four with double entries in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle. That Grade 1 over a longer distance also takes place on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, 11 March this year.
It puts traders on Cheltenham betting sites in something of a quandary, because both Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth are market principals for both races. The two mares experienced contrasting fortunes at previous Festivals.
While Lossiemouth is a three-time Cheltenham winner including at the big meeting in each of the last two seasons, Brighterdaysahead suffered her only career defeat to date here. That came in the 2024 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on St Patrick’s Thursday.
The conqueror of Brighterdaysahead at last year’s Festival, Golden Ace, is another of the four mares with Champion Hurdle entries, alongside Triumph Hurdle second Kargese. Female horses receive a 7lb sex allowance from the geldings if running in the big race, instead of against their own sex.
Like Lossiemouth, Kargese represents Willie Mullins. He has a maximum of six potential runners, who also include the recently disappointing State Man, veteran Winter Fog, and dark horse duo Anzadam and Kitzbuhel.
Henderson Has Arkle Favourite Sir Gino Among Champion Hurdle Entries
As if the mares’ double engagements doesn’t complicate the picture enough, one of the Cheltenham favourites over fences in Sir Gino joins Seven Barrows stable companion and 2023 hero Constitution Hill in the line-up. The former heads the market for the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase, also on Champion Hurdle day.
This entry for Sir Gino looks precautionary at this stage, however. Constitution Hill is a fragile horse, restricted to just two outings around Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle since the spring of 2023.
If he suffers another setback, then trainer Nicky Henderson may reroute Sir Gino to take up Champion Hurdle entries instead. The yard already delayed chasing for their five-year-old until Christmas.
Sir Gino stepped in and deputised for Constitution Hill in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth up at Newcastle. Henderson, who saddled last season’s third Luccia, can no longer call on that mare as she has been retired.
Also among 2025 Champion Hurdle entries is Japanese horse All The World. He ran third in the Tokyo High Jump, but needs to build on that with Cheltenham odds as big as 100/1 for the Far East raider.
Up-and-coming British trainers James Owen and Harry Derham bravely include their top hurdlers in Greatwood winner Burdett Road and Brentford Hope, respectively. Both have plenty to find on official BHA ratings with Constitution Hill and other market principals, though.
Rare Absence for Race’s Winning-Most Owner
This will only be the second time since 2011 that leading Cheltenham Festival owner JP McManus doesn’t have a Champion Hurdle runner. He boasts a record nine victories in this contest, first scoring with the legendary Istabraq in the late 1990s.
At the moment, you won’t see the famous McManus silks of green and gold hoops here. After consulting with other owners in the powerful syndicate behind Supreme Novices’ Hurdle second Mystical Power, connections opted to the enter the regally-bred son of Galileo and Annie Power in the Stayers’ Hurdle instead.
Other Champion Hurdle entries do little more than make up the numbers somewhat. Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion also has the Stayers route as an option, while Senecia is in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. That headlines the following day’s Cheltenham schedule on Style Wednesday, 12 March.
Gordon Elliott ran King Of Kingsfield as a pacemaker for Brighterdaysahead when she routed the field in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival. An entry for him in the Champion Hurdle suggests owners Gigginstown House may again deploy similar tactics.
Should connections of any horse wish to supplement a runner, then they must do so before midday on Wednesday, 5 March. It’s at this point when penultimate declarations are made.
When Is The 2025 Champion Hurdle?
📅Date: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
⌚Time: 4:00pm
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
🔄Trip: 2m 87y
💷Winning Purse: £253,215
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV
2025 Champion Hurdle Entries
- All The World (JPN)
- Anzadam (IRE)
- Brentford Hope (GB)
- Burdett Road (GB)
- Constitution Hill (GB)
- King Of Kingsfield (IRE)
- Kitzbuhel (IRE)
- Nemean Lion (GB)
- Senecia (IRE)
- Sir Gino (GB)
- State Man (IRE)
- Winter Fog (IRE)
- Brighterdaysahead (IRE)
- Golden Ace (GB)
- Kargese (IRE)
- Lossiemouth (IRE)
Recent Champion Hurdle Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2024 – State Man 2/5 fav
- 2023 – Constitution Hill 4/11 fav
- 2022 – Honeysuckle 8/11 fav
- 2021 – Honeysuckle 11/10 fav
- 2020 – Epatante 2/1 fav
- 2019 – Espoir D’Allen 16/1
- 2018 – Buveur D’Air 4/6 fav
- 2017 – Buveur D’Air 5/1
- 2016 – Annie Power 5/2 fav
- 2015 – Faugheen 4/5 fav
WATCH: State Man win the 2024 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham
