Date: Tuesday 14th March 2023
This year’s Champion Hurdle has a very simple feel to it. The market leader ticks every meaningful box and comes here with the sort of profile that has dominated this race for years.
You still want the right age, a big official rating, a recent run and plenty of hurdle experience, but when a horse also brings an unbeaten season and superstar-level form into the race, the shortlist tends to become obvious.
These are the three that come out best on the Turf Talk ratings.
TURF TALK RATINGS - LEADING CONTENDERS
| Horse | Turf Talk Rating |
|---|---|
| Constitution Hill | 232 |
| State Man | 216 |
| Vauban | 201 |
| I Like To Move It | 189 |
| Jason The Militant | 176 |
| Not So Sleepy | 168 |
| Zanahiyr | 161 |
The key angles this year are very straightforward: unbeaten current-season form, elite rating, Grade 1 hurdle experience and the right age profile. On all of those measures one horse stands clear.
MAIN SELECTION
Constitution Hill (4/9 available)
He is the clear top-rated horse and looks an outstanding Champion Hurdle favourite.
He is unbeaten, already a Cheltenham Festival winner, has the right age profile and brings a level of form that very few horses in recent years have been able to match. He is the exact type this race tends to reward and arguably more besides.
BACKUP SELECTION 1
State Man (9/2 available)
The obvious danger and a very strong horse in his own right.
He fits plenty of the trends and arrives with the right type of Grade 1 profile, but he happens to be taking on something that looks potentially exceptional. He still rates as the one most likely to chase the favourite home.
BACKUP SELECTION 2
Vauban (10/1 available)
The more interesting of the remainder and one worth keeping on side.
He has the stable strength and enough class to be involved if the race turns tactical, but on trends and form he still has plenty to find with the top two. He is included more as the best of the rest.
SUMMARY
Constitution Hill dominates the ratings and is the clear main selection and quite simply wins this, with State Man and Vauban the more interesting options if the race does not go to script. I won’t be having a bet and will enjoy watching Constitution take this.
