Lossiemouth © Photo Healy Racing
Following an underwhelming display from Constitution Hill in his racecourse gallop at Newbury on Tuesday, William Hill have pushed him out to 2-1 for the 2025 Champion Hurdle.
We take a look at the leading Irish contenders for next year’s renewal.
Current William Hill prices for next year’s Champion Hurdle:
Willie Mullins has made no secret of the fact he believes this gallant grey mare is a Champion Hurdle horse. She is unbeaten in her last 5 starts and has won 7 of her 8 starts, remaining sound throughout.
Following her success in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, Mullins enthused:
“She was great — she’s a Champion Hurdle mare, we all think. Once again, Paul was very cool on her and she can improve another year on, when she’s a bit older. Running like that, in that ground, she’s got everything.”
The last time Nicky Henderson’s superstar hurdler was seen in public was a dramatic appearance at Kempton Park in February, when it transpired he was suffering from an infection which ruled him out of a Champion Hurdle defence. His last win came in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen's Day in 2023. De Boinville was aboard for Tuesday's Newbury workout, in which Constitution Hill finished behind Sir Gino, and told Sky Sports Racing:
“He felt great until about the two (furlong marker) and then he’s had a really good blow.
“He’s come off looking like he’s had a really good piece of work. It’s soft ground out there and he just needed it a bit, but that will bring him on.
“Turning into the straight, he really locked on and I was just having to say ‘whoa, we’ve got four furlongs to run’ so all the ability is there, it’s getting him up to full fitness."
“Today will bring him on an awful lot, we’ve got one more piece of work to go, he’ll probably school this week and then we’re ready.”
A winner of an astonishing ten Grade 1 races, this unstoppable seven-year-old was beaten by Constitution Hill in the 2023 Champion Hurdle before landing last season’s renewal, when his arch rival was ruled out. This straightforward star is all heart and will be back to defend his crown.
Trainer Willie Mullins, however, believes he saves his best for elsewhere:
“He’s probably a better horse around Leopardstown, but he’s a Champion Hurdle winner.
“He probably doesn’t produce his best at Cheltenham, but you’ve got to turn up to win a Champion Hurdle.
“I think Paul was probably riding him very conservatively, he was keeping everything in reserve for the last hurdle, I think.
This outstanding hurdler has won 7 of his 8 starts for Willie Mullins, including the Gallagher Novices‘ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Trainer Willie Mullins was blown away following that 13-length victory and believed it was a Champion Hurdle performance:
“It’s the first time he’s wowed me, I thought ‘wow, what a performance’ and to me that was a Champion Hurdle performance. It was really really spectacular. With his size, scope and pedigree our owners might decide to go chasing with him next year, I don’t know. But with that performance he can go anywhere.”
Sir Gino was shortened into 12-1 on Tuesday after he worked all over his stablemate Constitution Hill. Following his victory in a Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at Aintree in April, he is now unbeaten in three runs. Trainer Nicky Henderson said after the Aintree win:
"He is a very good horse but he’s got a long way to go.
"He’ll have to stick to hurdles next season but I’m not going to think about that now. I know where one person (Constitution Hill) is going, so we’ll have to see if there’s an alternative route."
Son of former Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power, this promising hurdler is beginning to show his true ability and is certainly on an upward curve. He finished second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham before taking a Grade 1 at Aintree and Punchestown towards the end of last season.
Trainer Willie Mullins said after his Punchestown victory:
“Mystical Power showed resilience and toughness and he's been improving all season.
“It's fantastic that he's progressed as the season has gone on and I think Annie Power is coming out in him. She showed plenty of ability but he didn't show any ability early. When he was a three-year-old he didn't show me much ability and at the end of his four-year-old year he started to show a little bit.”
This promising mare made a winning seasonal return at Down Royal last weekend, taking a Grade 3 Hurdle in decisive fashion for Gordon Elliott. A Grade 1 winner over hurdles, Elliott thinks this ‘gorgeous’ mare will come on plenty for the run at Down Royal:
“We didn’t want it turning into a sprint — we kind of thought Paul (Townend, on Daddy Long Legs) might try to stack them up in front. I said to Sam ‘look, go out and go a good gallop the whole way’. He said it wasn’t ideal because she was looking around in front the whole way.
“He said she had a good blow and she will come on plenty from it. If she had winged the last two, she would have won a couple of lengths. She is never going to win more than what she is going to, but it’s great to win”
Please gamble responsibly. 18+. GambleAware.org
