Constitution Hill Horse Reclaim Champion Hurdle Title

The Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday, with Constitution Hill Horse returning to the track in pursuit of another Champion Hurdle victory. The four-day event features top-class racing, emotional tributes, and competitive fields across multiple categories.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, Constitution Hill Horse remains unbeaten over Champion Hurdles but has faced several setbacks since his last appearance at Cheltenham. Health concerns, including a respiratory issue, suspected colic, and lameness, forced him to miss last year’s festival. Despite these challenges, he has recovered in time to compete for another title.

The Champion Hurdle will not be an easy contest, with strong opposition from last year’s winner, State Man, trained by Willie Mullins. Gordon Elliott’s promising mare, Brightersdaysahead, is another contender generating interest, adding to the competitive nature of the race.

Nicky Henderson will closely watch the Cheltenham Gold Cup as Galopin Des Champs aims for a third straight victory. While the titleholder is in the training hands of Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson has a strong hand to put up a good fight for the race. The majority of the fans are eagerly waiting to see if Nicky Henderson’s runners will spoil the party for the market ace in this prestigious race.

His challengers include Gerri Colombe, Fastorslow, and other in-form runners aiming to deny Mullins another success in the race. A third win would place Galopin Des Champs alongside some of the greatest horses in Cheltenham’s history.

This year, the festival will be endowed with added poignancy given that the opening race, previously sanctioned by the Supreme Novices’ Champion Hurdle, has been given a new name in memory of Michael O’Sullivan, who sadly passed away last month following a fall.

O’Sullivan won this race two years back on Marine Nationale, and the re-naming is a mark of his contribution to racing. An occasion for both fans and competitors to remember him before the first race of the day.

Apart from the aforementioned Champions’ hurdle and Gold Cup, other important races will come into the limelight throughout the week. The Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday will feature Jonbon challenging the defending champion, Energumene. The Stayers’ Champion Hurdle comes alive on Thursday, which is also a competitive affair since Teahupoo and Flooring Porter are among those great entries.

Another much-anticipated fixture is the Ryanair Chase, in which former winners and emerging challengers will compete for prize money in what promises to be a highly competitive event. In addition to this, the handicaps have delivered a steady flow of surprise results at the festival as has kept racing fans occupied during the event.

Cheltenham Festival is known to be the event where people throng pour into the fields in droves from all parts of the UK and Ireland. As the first race starts, the roar is expected, and with it entertains an exciting week’s competition.

From moments with Constitution Hill Horse’s return to Galopin Des Champs chasing history and a heartfelt tribute to launch the event, the 2023 edition of Cheltenham will serve up some unmissable moments on the racing calendar.