The Champion Hurdle is the feature race of the first day of the Cheltenham Festival and brings together the best two mile hurdlers in the sport. Cheltenham itself hosts two terrific Champion Hurdle trials in the Greatwood hurdle run at the Paddy Power Open meeting in November and the Boylesports International Hurdle run in December (formally known as the Bula Hurdle). There will be a handful of entries who ran in the Supreme Novices the year prior as well so it's worth noting the form and whether the horse gets up the hill at Cheltenham or not.
Get the latest Champion Hurdle form.
It was Nicky Henderson's second string Punjabi who suprised the field in winning the 2009 Champion Hurdle from Celestial Halo and stablemate and favourite Binocular. Punjabi won the Fighting Fifth hurdle which had been re-routed to Wetherby but that was his only victory en-route. The Henderson trained five-year-old fell when in good order in the Christmas Hurdle and finished third in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton in his last prep race.
Second placed Celestial Halo had won the Totepool Contenders Hurdle at Sandown in 2009 en-route to Cheltenham and also finished second in the Boylesports International, one by Binocular. That race had been re-routed to Ascot so Binocular backers hadn't seen him run at the festival bar his second place finish in the Supreme a year earlier when he didn't get up the hill.
Ireland's Go Native has won the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle this season and looks to follow up his Supreme Novices' Hurdle win in 2009 at the Festival in March. Solwhit is blazing a trial in the Irish trials and these two will be there or thereabouts in the betting come the 16th March.
Check out the latest Champion Hurdle odds.
| DATE | RACECOURSE | RACE NAME | WINNER |
| 31/10/2009 | Ascot | Williamhill.co.uk Handicap Hurdle | Dani's Girl 10/1 |
| 07/11/2009 | Wincanton | Elite Hurdle | Celestial Halo 11/4J |
| 15/11/2009 | Punchestown | Maplewood Developments Hurdle | Solwhit 7/4 |
| 21/11/2009 | Ascot | Coral Ascot Hurdle | Zaynar 9/4J |
| 21/11/2009 | Haydock | Tune In To Timeform Radio Hurdle | Mr Thriller 8/15F |
| 28/11/2009 | Newcastle | Fighting Fifth Hurdle | Go Native 25/1 |
| 02/12/2009 | Fairyhouse | Hatton's Grace Hurdle | Oscar Dan Dan 11/2 |
| 18/12/2009 | Cheltenham | Boylesports International Hurdle | Khyber Kim 12/1 |
| 26/12/2009 | Kempton | Christmas Hurdle | Go Native 5/2 |
| 29/12/2009 | Leopardstown | December Festival Hurdle | Solwhit 8/11F |
| 23/01/2010 | Haydock | Blue Square Champion Hurdle Trial | Medermit 11/4 |
| 25/01/2010 | Leopardstown | Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle | Solwhit 5/6F |
| 06/02/2010 | Sandown | Toteplacepot Contenders Listed Hurdle | Binocular 1/7F |
| 20/02/2010 | Wincanton | Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle | ABANDONED |
| 01/03/2010 | Leopardstown | Ballsbridge Hurdle | Won In The Dark 9/10F |
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