Unibet Champion Hurdle

THE Unibet Champion Hurdle entries revealed this week show 21 possible opponents to the outstanding Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill.

Unfortunately it looks as though the champion will not be seen until the big day with trainer Nicky Henderson appearing to be unwilling to run in the Trials meeting at the end of the month.

The four who chased him home last year - State Man, Zanahiyr, Vauban and Not So Sleepy – are all entered again. Paul Townend believed State Man was not at his best that day but it is a long shot to see him overturning the favourite.

The main challenge may come from the younger brigade. The Triumph Hurdle favourite Burdett Road is an intriguing entry but more likely to stay against his own age.

The first and second from last year’s Triumph, the mares Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau are entered by Willie Mullins with neither seeing the track this season yet. One point to remember is that last season’s Triumph had the fastest final three furlongs of the meeting as per Simon Rowlands’ calculations and Lossiemouth led that sectional from the front. The other new arrival at nine years old is the rejuvenated Bob Olinger. In an ordinary year, his come-from-behind style and change of pace could be interesting as are his 20/1 odds. An each-way bet could be worth taking with the field likely to cut up.

LATEST ODDS

Constitution Hill 1/3, State Man 9/2, Impaire Et Passe 12, Bob Olinger 20, Vauban, Lossiemouth, Echoes In Rain 33, Burdett Road 50

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

THE Stayers’ Hurdle has 36 entries, 20 of them from Ireland. What do you need to win the Stayers’ Hurdle? A horse that stays, stupid!

The long distance hurdle currently offers one of the most diverse January Festival markets. There is a fair bit of guesswork into who may line-up come March but that is factored into the odds of some who may be a lot shorter in a few weeks’ time, whereas the Champion Chase and Gold Cup look static. With straight-to-Festival plans, not a lot is likely to change.

Only two favourites have won the Stayers’ in the last 10 years and, of the remaining eight winners, only Flooring Porter on his second win (4/1) and More Of That (15/2) were less than 10/1. The first seven home from last year are entered again.

Robcour have two leading contenders headed by last year’s unlucky third place finisher Teahupoo and backed up by the year-younger Irish Point.

Teahupoo looks the more proven stayer although Irish Point is this season’s Grade 1 winner over three miles at Leopardstown. But better ground and a faster pace in March may actually call for more stamina than the heavy ground, slowly run Leopardstown contest. Teahupoo looked unlucky last year but there was little between the first three. You would think he may have to improve.

Impaire Et Passe is classy but would also have stamina doubts.

With Il Est Francais’ dominant run at Kempton still in the minds, more attention than usual may be given to French challenger Theleme. His Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil win is among the best form here. French-trained Gold Tweet beat some of the older British stayers in the Cleeve Hurdle last year but made little show in the championship at the Festival. Still, it shows French form is good.

Paisley Park is lovely but old, Sire Du Berlais even older, Drashel Dasher is in the same category. Monkfish is also 10 and has lots to prove. Home By The Lee has tried and failed twice, Sir Gerhard looks to make hard work of everything these days. Crambo is the new arrival and has his supporters.

Grand National winner Noble Yeats is stepping back to hurdles and Emmet Mullins is quick to spot opportunities. Bookies can’t agree on his odds and he ranges from 16s to 33s.

Flooring Porter was beaten three and a half lengths into fourth last year. He is still only nine and his trainer suggested he could still come here if the novice chases are too hot. At 20/1 he is surely worth a shot, given that any syndicate that enjoys Festival success will want to taste it again and the Stayers’ may be a better bet than going off third favourite in a novice chase behind a Mullins hot-pot.

The 2023 Gold Cup faller Ahoy Senor has also been given Ryanair and Gold Cup entries and it remains to be seen how he fares on his next run over fences. The 40/1 could look tasty if he was guaranteed to run.

LATEST ODDS

Teahupoo, Theleme 4; Irish Point 6; Crambo 9; Impaire Et Passe 10; Sir Gerhard 14; Sire Du Berlais; Paisley Park, Flooring Porter 20; Noble Yeats 33; Dashel Drasher 40; Home By The Lee 40; Monkfish 66

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle

The Mares’ Hurdle market is one that has yet to fully develop and looks a more open race than in some recent years.

Twenty-five mares have been entered with 17 of them Irish-trained. Thirteen of the 16 runnings have gone to Irish stables with 2022 winner Marie’s Rock and last year’s second Love Envoi holding forth for Britain along with last season’s Mares’ Novice winner You Wear It Well, available at 20s and she looks likely to run at Lingfield next weekend.

The market revolves around the two Willie Mullins-trained mares who were first and second in the big juvenile contests of last year with Lossiemouth winning the two that really counted in the Triumph at the Festival and the Grade 1 at Punchestown.

Gala Marceau went on to win a Grade 1 in Auteuil to add to her Dublin Festival Grade 1 win.

The two five-year-olds had busier campaigns than the majority of the older Grade 1 winners. Both have also been entered for the Champion Hurdle with the Triumph third and Aintree Grade 1 winner Zenta also in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Zenta, Brandy Love and Halka Du Tabert have all been chasing, whether they go for the Mares’ Chase remains to be seen between now and March.

Jessica Harrington’s Jetara is the improving mare this season after her three wins and a Leopardstown Grade 3.

Ashroe Diamond took the Fairyhouse mares’ Grade 1 hurdle but was well behind Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace. Magical Zoe will also have her supporters after she made up ground late in last year’s Mares’ Novice and ran well on her reappearance against Irish Point at Down Royal in November.

A lot will depend on where the Mullins mares go and how they perform on their reappearances.

LATEST ODDS

Lossiemouth 11/4; Gala Marceau 11/2; Ashroe Diamond 8; Love Envoi, 12 Echoes In Rain, Jetara 14; Luccia, West Balboa 16; You Wear It Well, Magical Zoe, Halka Du Tabert, Marie’s Rock 20; Zenta 25; Brandy Love 33