Fowler on the Festival: Constitution can land one Hill of a Champion Hurdle

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Written by: Harry Fowler

There are now less than two weeks to go until the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and Odds Now have enlisted the help of national hunt enthusiast Harry Fowler to keep you abreast of all the key developments.

Catch Harry’s column every week between now and the roar to stay on top of the big stories and market moves from horse racing’s most anticipated meeting.

Champion Hurdle 2025 Preview and Betting Guide

The Cheltenham Festival finally gets underway tomorrow. The whole national hunt season builds to these four days of the best racing of the season and the buzz around the festival is palpable!

The featured race on the opening day is the Champion Hurdle, where the best hurdlers around meet over two miles and there have been some historic names winning this race.

We are witnessing what could be the best ever in Constitution Hill. It’s a big debate in the racing world but missing all of last season through injury hasn’t helped his case for many.

He looked verging on unbeatable before his injury and his win over State Man in this race two years ago by a huge nine lengths was the best of his victories. Even looking back to his Supreme Novice Hurdle victory, beating a certain Jonbon by 22 lengths, he’s been in a league of his own and still yet to taste defeat on the track.

This season, we have seen him twice and the question mark is still, is he back to his best or anywhere near it?

In his reappearance after exactly a year off in the Christmas Hurdle he faced Lossiemouth in a big clash. Lossiemouth wasn’t at her best that day and beating her only 2 ½ lengths and notably coming off the bridle isn’t a huge performance from him. Yet, in the context of his first run for a year, we can forgive.

We saw him again on Cheltenham Trials day in January where he faced no competition of note, going off 1/12 on the day and we did indeed find out nothing, with him winning in a canter.

The answer is we don’t know if he is back or not, and we won’t know till after his run in this great race. The competition is looking fierce this year and we are set up for a huge Champion Hurdle.

The main rival he's taking on is a top drawer mare in Brighterdaysahead, while 2024’s Champion Hurdle winner State Man is also lining up – but with something to prove.

The target all season for Lossiemouth has been the Champion Hurdle, but sadly, Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci have had a rather predictable U-turn and opted to run her in the Mares Hurdle instead.

Last season she was a class above her own sex at Prestbury Park and won that race by three lengths, with Paul Townend barely moving a muscle. It didn’t look like she left second gear. If we see similar again, it will leave many racing fans wondering what could have been.

Brighterdaysahead, meanwhile, has been a revelation this term having finished second in last year’s Mares Novice Hurdle with a penalty. Looking back now, you have to wonder how on earth did she not win.

She was one of the most backed horses of the week and Gordon Elliot didn’t hide his thoughts on how much he liked this mare. She has had three runs so far this season and won all three, with the last two coming against aforementioned 2024 Champion Hurdle winner State Man.

The most recent of those was a 30-length destruction, where it did however appear that State Man wasn’t at his best. She has been confirmed to be running in the Champion Hurdle and she is the chief danger to Constitution Hill, no doubt.

Without dwelling too much on the situation, I do firmly believe that both Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead shouldn’t have the option of the Mares Hurdle. They are 160 rated and 163 rated horses, which should be running in the Champion Hurdle. Plain and simple.

State Man as I have mentioned a few times now doesn't look the horse he was and I do think both mares would beat him at the Festival. For me, he has no chance of winning the race.

Outside the big three in the market, we won’t have many others, if any, barring of course King Of Kingsfield who will be a pacemaker for Brighterdaysahead again, you’d assume.

The quicker they go though, the more I can see this suiting Constitution Hill. It may well prove to be that Brighterdaysahead ends up being a pacemaker of sorts for her chief market rival, as he sweeps by to regain his crown.

It will be a blockbuster race and I think clash of the week between two amazing horses.

Harry Fowler's Champion Hurdle 2025 prediction

1st - Constitution Hill

2nd - Brighterdaysahead

3rd - State Man

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