Horse racing revolves around the art of predicting the future, or at least trying to. It requires an intricate understanding of statistics, a keen eye for race observation, and scrutinizing every minute aspect to ascertain triumph. However, the unpredictable nature of the game occasionally springs surprises that even the most eagle-eyed viewers can’t see coming.
When it comes to the most prestigious races on the calendar, few rank higher than the Champion Hurdle. The Grade One extravaganza is one of the jewels in the Cheltenham Festival crown, perhaps only rivaled by the Gold Cup. A staggering prize fund of over £250,000 awaits the victor and that prize pot is expected to grow even further this April. Speaking of this year’s big race, the reigning champion Constitution Hill is expected to reign supreme once more, and horse racing betting odds providers have made him a -330 favorite to succeed.
His backers are confident in their prospects, especially given the race’s remarkable trend over the past decade. That trend is that the favorite has emerged victorious in seven of the last nine years. Last year it was the aforementioned Constitution Hill, and before him, the blistering Honeysuckle won back-to-back races in 2021 and 2022. You have to go back to 2019 for the last underdog to win the race, an honor that went to…
2019 – Espoir d’Allen
Back in 2019, the spotlight was firmly fixed on the defending champion, Buveur d’Air. The history-making potential of securing a third consecutive victory in the money-spinning race had captured the attention of the horse racing community. The reigning champion’s back-to-back triumphs solidified his status as the heavy betting favorite, but a few punters thought that he was beatable, especially because he had only managed to beat runner-up Melon by a neck in 2018.
And, as fate would have it, the race took a remarkable turn when Buveur d’Air stumbled early on, leaving the majority of spectators stunned and the outcome uncertain. Following that shocker, the race was suddenly blown wide open, and it was the 16/1 Espoir d’Allen – a relatively inexperienced contender compared to the rest of the field – that seized the opportunity and surged ahead. With jockey Mark Walsh in the saddle, the duo never relinquished the lead and powered to a resounding victory, crossing the finish line an astounding 15 lengths ahead of their nearest rivals.
2017 – Buveur d’Air
Two years prior to his failed trifecta attempt Buveur d’Air was the underdog, and this time around, he made no mistake. Despite being ranked third in the betting, the talented horse stormed past rivals Yanworth and My Tent Or Yours and belying his relatively long odds of 5/1. The former of that duo was a 2/1 favorite heading into the race however, as demonstrated by the fact that he wasn’t an odds-on favorite, many punters were skeptical as to whether he could get the job done. And it was the critics who were proven right when he slid down to seventh place, losing out to stablemate Sceau Royal in the process.
That left the Nicky Henderson-trained pairing of Buveur d’Air and My Tent or Yours to battle it out for victory, with the duo some three lengths clear of third place Petit Mouchoir. And it was the former who claimed the victory, storming clear of the runner-up down the stretch to seal the win by four lengths.
However, in 2018, Buveur d’Air silenced any doubts by securing another triumph, this time as the heavy favorite. However, he was far less dominant when he was the odds-on favorite, winning by barely a neck and eventually having his crown ripped from him in 2019.
2014 – Jezki
In the 2014 edition of the esteemed Champion Hurdle, there was one horse that stood head and shoulders above the rest – The New One. With odds of 5/2, he confidently trotted into the race as the hot favorite, sparking high expectations among racing enthusiasts.
It was an extraordinary spectacle as he managed to even outshine the reigning champion Hurricane Fly, a true titan of the sport who had claimed victory in this illustrious showdown twice before. Plenty of bookmakers, however, had presumed that the Fly was past his best and ran several promotions aiming to get punters to back the horse, and many did.
Jezki, a relatively inexperienced horse with slightly lower odds, defied expectations and showcased remarkable strength during the race. With determination, he maintained a commanding lead from the start, surpassing the more renowned competitors.
The unexpected victory left spectators astounded, given the significant presence of well-established contenders. Neither Jezki nor jockey Barry Geraghty allowed the formidable competition to distract them, ultimately securing the win by a narrow margin, resulting in one of the most thrilling finishes ever witnessed in horse racing.
