William Hill Sites

Sports Vegas Live Casino Bingo Poker Promotions

Media And Support

Podcasts Betting & Casino Apps Help Centre
Cheltenham Festival

Champion Day: Cheltenham Festival Day One

Cheltenham Betting Guide | Day 2: Ladies Day | Day 3: St Patrick’s Thursday | Day 4: Gold Cup

When: Tuesday, 14th March 2023

Feature Race: 15:30 Champion Hurdle

Races: 7

 

The preparation. The anticipation. It all comes down to this. The wait is over, Champion Day is here, so get ready to hear the Cheltenham roar…nothing comes close.

The curtain-raiser on day one is the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, where we’ll see some of the smartest novices jump eight hurdles around the Old Course. Who’ll follow in the footsteps of the likes of Brave Inca, Vautour and Altior?

The opening day also features the Champion Hurdle. However, Honeysuckle won’t join the greats in winning the Championship race for the third successive year after connections announced she’d be prepared for the Mares’ Hurdle.

The race, however, will see the mighty Constitution Hill, unbeaten in five starts under rules, looking to wow the Cheltenham crowds and see off his rivals, including Irish Champion Hurdler State Man.

Champion Day Schedule

Here’s a look at all the races on Champion Day at the Champion Festival.

Race TimeRace NameDistanceTypeQualification
13:30Supreme Novices' Hurdle2m 87yHurdle Race4+ years old
14:10Arkle Trophy1m 7f 199ySteeplechase5+ years old
14:50Ultima Handicap Chase3m 1fSteeplechase5+ years old
15:30Champion Hurdle2m 87yHurdle Race4+ years old
16:10Mares' Hurdle2m 3f 200yHurdle Race4+ years old
16:50Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle2m 87yHurdle Race4+ years old
17:30National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Chase3m 5f 201ySteeplechase5+ years old

Ahead of the action on the opening day, check out our latest horse racing betting odds and offers for the Cheltenham Festival.

Champion Day Results 2022

The 2022 Cheltenham Festival started with Constitution Hill storming clear of his rivals to beat stablemate Jonbon by 22 lengths. That was the start of a superb day of racing.

Edwardstone justified favouritism with a polished round of jumping before quickening away from Gabynako in the Arkle. Then, Derek Fox put in one of the rides of the week to coax Corach Rambler around the Old Course to land the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Then the mares came to the fore. Honeysuckle was shaken up on the turn for home, where she powered clear up the Cheltenham hill to land her second Champion Hurdle. Then, Marie’s Rock showed her class to give Nico de Boinville and Nicky Henderson a double on the day.

The last two races on the card went to the Irish. Brazil was given a power-packed ride from Mark Walsh to get the better of the well-backed favourite Gaelic Warrior in the Fred Winter. Before the day wrapped up with Stattler’s comfortable success in the National Hunt Challenge Cup.

Race NameWinning HorseJockeyTrainer
Supreme Novices' HurdleConstitution HillNico de BoinvilleNicky Henderson
Arkle TrophyEdwardstoneTon CannonAlan King
Ultima Handicap ChaseCorach RamblerDerek FoxLucinda Russell
Champion HurdleHoneysuckleRachael BlackmoreHenry de Bromhead
Mares' HurdleMarie' RockNico de BoinvilleNicky Henderson
Fred Winter Handicap HurdleBrazilMark WalshPadraig Roche
National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' ChaseStattlerPatrick MullinsWillie Mullins

Constitution Hill or State Man?

Honeysuckle’s bid to join an elite group of horses winning three consecutive Champion Hurdles has been shelved, so the two-time heroine won’t line up in the feature race on day one. Instead, she’ll have her swansong in the Mares’ Hurdle 40 minutes later.

That news swung the market heavily in the favour of Constitution Hill. Nicky Henderson’s charge has outclassed every opponent he’s faced in his career. He’s a strong-travelling type, who can go through the gears and puts his races to bed with ease.

He’s been sublime in his five runs under rules. He wowed the Cheltenham crowds 12 months ago when impressively winning the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he’s gone on to look better than ever when landing two more Grade 1s.

But now there’s a Willie Mullins contender. State Man’s win in the Matheson Hurdle saw him enter the frame. And his front-running display in the Irish Champion Hurdle confirmed the promise he’s shown this season, putting himself firmly into the mix.

And one of the rising stars from within the Mullins yard also brings Cheltenham winning form to the table after his success in last year’s County Hurdle. Could he be a fifth Champion Hurdler for the Closutton handler?

Another Facile success for Vega?

Facile Vega glided across the heavy ground, before quickening away from American Mike to land last year’s Champion Bumper. And he’d seemingly taken to hurdling like a duck to water after his first start over hurdles saw a comfortable 14-length win to whet the appetite of what was to come.

He soon followed that up with success in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas. But there was a bump in the road at the Dublin Racing Festival, where he was the last of five finishers in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle.

Willie Mullins put it down to the frantic early pace that he and High Definition set before folding tamely, allowing stablemate Il Etait Temps to pick up the pieces and enter the equation for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Can Facile Vega get back on the right track at Cheltenham? He’s looking to give Mullins an eighth winner in this race since 1995 and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Vautour and Douvan.

But standing in his way could be Royal Bond Novice Hurdle winner Marine Nationale, who is four from four under rules. While Tahmuras looks to hold the strongest chance from the home contingent. Paul Nicholls’s charge looked green and did plenty wrong in the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle, but won with plenty in hand, so could have more scope for improvement.

 

Want to bet on the Cheltenham Festival? Check out our latest horse racing odds and offers.

More Cheltenham Festival articles you may like

View all Cheltenham Festival
WHN promotion banner image
1 week ago

Cheltenham Festival 2024 wrap up

The Cheltenham Festival never fails to disappoint and the same can certainly be said for this year’s meeting, with many successes,...