The Unibet Champion Hurdle (4:00 Cheltenham, Tuesday 10th March 2026) field has been finalized following the 24-hour declarations. With State Man and Constitution Hill both absent due to injury/retirement, the 2026 renewal is an open, high-class affair dominated by three elite mares and the progressive British hope, The New Lion.
The going is currently Good to Soft (Good in places) on the Old Course.
Key Trends (Last 12 Years)
1. The “Mare” Era (4/12): 33% of recent winners have been mares receiving the 7lb allowance. In this specific field, the top three in the betting are all mares.
2. Age (12/12): Every winner since 2013 was aged 6, 7, or 8. (The New Lion is 7; Lossiemouth is 7; Brighterdaysahead is 7).
3. Cheltenham Festival Form (10/12): Winners almost always have a previous win or top-three finish at a previous Cheltenham Festival.
4. Last Time Out (11/12): 11 of the last 12 winners finished in the top two on their final start before Cheltenham.
5. Grade 1 Success (12/12): A previous Grade 1 win is a non-negotiable statistical requirement.
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Runner Analysis & Order of Preference
1. LOSSIEMOUTH (W.P. Mullins)
Trend Fit: Perfect. A 7-year-old mare (ideal age) with three previous Festival wins (Triumph and 2x Mares’). She receives the 7lb allowance and is unbeaten at Cheltenham.
Verdict: She is the “statistical lock.” Although beaten by Brighterdaysahead on heavy ground at Leopardstown, the return to Good to Soft and her flawless course record make her the primary trend pick. The application of first-time cheekpieces is a classic Mullins “sharpening” move.
2. THE NEW LION (Dan Skelton)
Trend Fit: Strong. A 7-year-old who won the Turners at this meeting last year. He is 5-for-5 in completed hurdle starts and won the Unibet Hurdle (Trials Day) on this course in January.
Verdict: He is the best of the “boys” and fits the “improving Grade 1 winner” trend perfectly. He is the main threat to the mares, especially with the Skelton yard’s exceptional strike rate this season.
3. BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD (Gordon Elliott)
Trend Fit: High Class. A 7-year-old mare who beat Lossiemouth in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out.
Verdict: While she is technically the “form” horse after her Leopardstown win, she has been beaten at the last two Cheltenham Festivals when sent off as favorite. Trends favor those with proven winning course form, which gives Lossiemouth the edge.
4. GOLDEN ACE (Jeremy Scott)
Trend Fit: Solid. The “defending champion” (won the 2025 renewal). She also won the Mares’ Novice at the 2024 Festival.
Verdict: She is a course specialist. While she capitalized on falls from leaders last year, her recent Grade 1 win in the Fighting Fifth proves she belongs at this level. She fits the “previous winner” trend perfectly but may find the top two slightly speedier on this ground.
5. TUTTI QUANTI (Paul Nicholls)
Trend Fit: The “Improver.” A 6-year-old (ideal age) supplemented for this race after a dominant win in the William Hill Hurdle.
Verdict: He is following the “Espoir d’Allen” trend—a young, rapidly improving horse supplemented late. However, he lacks the Grade 1 experience that all 12 of the last winners possessed.
6. ALEXEI (Joe Tizzard)
Trend Fit: 6-year-old, won the Greatwood Hurdle on this course earlier this season.
Verdict: A smart handicapper making the leap to Grade 1. Statistically, horses stepping up from handicaps struggle to beat established Grade 1 mares.
7. PONIROS / ANZADAM (W.P. Mullins)
Verdict: Both are 5/6-year-olds from the Mullins yard but were soundly beaten by the principals at Leopardstown. They fit the trainer trend but fall short on the “Last Time Out” and “Class” metrics.
8. WORKAHEAD (Henry de Bromhead)
Verdict: An 8-year-old outsider. While the trainer is a Champion Hurdle specialist (Honeysuckle), this horse’s recent form (50/1) is well below the required trend rating of 150+.
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Final Trend-Based Ranking
1. Lossiemouth (Course form, 7lb allowance, and perfect age)
2. The New Lion (Best male prospect, unbeaten when completing, course winner)
3. Brighterdaysahead (Elite form, but lacks a Cheltenham win)
4. Golden Ace (Defending champ, but faces a tougher task this year)
5. Tutti Quanti (The interesting improver for place purposes)
6. Alexei (Best of the longshots due to course form)
