Five of the last six Champion Hurdles were won by the SP favourite
Owner JP McManus has won the race a record nine times
Recommended bet: The New Lion to win
The Cheltenham Festival gets underway on Tuesday afternoon and the main dish on day one in the Cotswolds is the Champion Hurdle, due off this year at the new feature race time of 4pm.
Last year's winner Golden Ace returns but is unfancied in the market and she is joined by fellow mares Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead in a field of nine.
The New Lion has been popular in the antepost betting, but Dan Skelton's runner has been usurped by Lossiemouth since the declarations were made on Sunday.
Setting the scene
The 2025 Champion Hurdle went down as one of the most dramatic in history. Constitution Hill was an early faller and it seemed as though State Man would inherit his crown, only for the leader to slither to the turf after jumping the last five-lengths clear.
Brighterdaysahead could not capitalise and so it was Jeremy Scott's outsider Golden Ace who scored a shock win.
She's two-from-two at this meeting and won the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in November, a race that had an eerie echo of Cheltenham as Constitution Hill and, this time, The New Lion tumbled out.
Lossiemouth swerved this race 12 months ago and instead won a second Mares' Hurdle, but this time she takes on the big league for Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci, neither being strangers to winning this contest.
Brighterdaysahead has twice tried and failed in the Cotswolds, while the likes of 2025 Triumph Hurdle winner, Anzadam and Workahead – bitterly disappointing the Supreme on this card a year ago – complete the Irish contingent.
Tutti Quanti was supplemented into this race for Paul Nicholls, while progressive handicapper Alexei shoots for the stars for Joe Tizzard having won the Greatwood Hurdle here in November.
The latest Champion Hurdle odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Big race stats
Brighterdaysahead defeated Lossiemouth in last month's Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Lossiemouth is 4-4 at Cheltenham, including three Festival wins.
Dan Skelton is aiming to win his first Cheltenham Championship race.
Owner JP McManus has won this race a record nine times.
The last five winners of this race were previous Festival winners.
Mares have won five of the last 10 runnings of the Champion Hurdle, receiving their 7lb allowance.
Prediction
Despite Lossiemouth's exceptional record at this meeting, she is opposed in first-time cheekpieces. There is a danger her boat sailed last year.
She was well held by Brighterdaysahead at the Dublin Racing Festival last time, while Gordon Elliott's contender has not shown her best form at Cheltenham in two runs – a major worry for her supporters. Both had a hard race in Ireland five weeks ago.
Golden Ace, an admirable mare, has enjoyed unfathomable good fortune in her two Grade 1 wins and may not get so lucky this time.
Poniros, Anzadam and Alexei have to produce real improvement, Workahead just looks out of his depth and Tutti Quanti may set the race up for the remainder to fight out.
The New Lion has only had one blip in his career and he was given an educational ride here in January on his Trials Day win. A good tempo here could bring out a top-class performance in him.
Back The New Lion to win the Champion Hurdle at 11/4 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Champion Hurdle odds are available on LiveScore Bet
