Cheltenham Festival: Key Champion Hurdle contenders analysed by Sky Sports Racing expert Mick Fitzgerald | Racing News

Former jockey and Sky Sports Racing presenter Mick Fitzgerald has starred in four major contenders for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Headlining action on day one of the four-day meeting, on March 14, this year’s Champion Hurdle features the most talked about star of the week in Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill.

Last year’s dominant Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner has beaten them all before, but will now test his skills against Irish Champion Hurdle winner State Man and 2022 Triumph Hurdle king Vauban. Potentially throw into the mix former hurdles champion Epatante and the renewal this year looks an absolute cracker.

Constitution Hill

What Constitution Hill did in the Supreme last year was just strange, most people were surprised, although some said it was because Dysart Dynamo and Jonbon were too fast and set up for him, but the next walk showed him to be too little. a bit strange.

To do what in the Fighting Fifth for the former Champion Hurdler in Epatante is just jaw-dropping; he laid out cold, and said to me that the Supreme won is not a type of fluke. He was able to be more impressive in the Natal Hurdle, beating Epatante more, and in two from this season we have seen just how tactically versatile it is.

This horse is truly the gift that keeps on giving; whenever people come to see him has been considered a great performance and that is rare. Just look at the winning distance since the arrival of Seven Barrows; 14 long; 12 long; 22 long; 12 long and 17 long; and some have been hard on the bridle.

It’s a very hard horse to be negative, and the only time I’ve ever seen him make a mistake was second last at Kempton, but the race was in the bag.

He just looks the complete package. In what we have seen so far, it looks like all the different facets of racing agree upon; paddock expert; the time of men and all experts in form; everyone is in unison in saying that Constitution Hill is just the cut above. It is quite rare that all these people actually agree on the horse, no one can find holes or defects.

He’s bigger and stronger this year and I can’t see the 78 day break causing any problems. Nicky (Henderson) is just an expert in preparing horses for Cheltenham and what makes him so good with these top-class horses is that he knows that horses put in big performances, like this kid in Supreme last year, he knows. he couldn’t ask him to do that too often in winter.

Nicky won’t count any chickens until Constitution Hill turns and wins the Champion Hurdle.

Strength- He looks the complete package

Weak point – It’s hard to find one

People of the Country

It is unbelievable to see the progress State Man has made since last year’s County Hurdle. I suppose you think about it now and say ‘how on earth you get to the race off the mark of 141?!’.

Falling on debut for Willie (Mullins) at Christmas at Leopardstown only helped to hide him better from the handicapper and actually could have changed the direction of the season.

It just goes to show that it’s not always straight for the horse, because if he had stood up and won at Leopardstown he might have faced Constitution Hill for the first time in last year’s Supreme, instead of winning the County Hurdle.

Now there is no doubt that he is a very smart horse and there may be signs in how he was ridden at Counties. I watched the race again and he was riding like an airplane. It seems that Paul Townend felt that ‘this horse is unbeatable and I will ride him as much as I want’.

I see no problem in him switching courses in the Champion Hurdle – open on the Old Course clearly. It’s not a track for every horse, but State Man seems to have plenty of pace. The biggest problem they can have is the speed of the race and how they jump.

To be fair to the horse, his jumping has gotten better since this season, but it’s not his ace card. Better ground, stronger pace and sharper tracks will find your weaknesses.

What the Irish Hurdles champion did say, however, was that he was a serious contender at Cheltenham.

Strength- He is a good horse with good Cheltenham Festival winner form

Weak point – It is possible that he jumps at the right Champion Hurdle pace

Wauban

I kept looking at Vauban’s races and saw him wanting to be very ambitious, but still finishing the race well. In the Irish Champion Hurdle behind the State Man, he made a mistake at the first hurdle because he was gassy and ran a little, but he was outpaced, which ended the race really.

The way I see it, if I were in charge, I’d run with Vauban for the simple reason that he’s proven that he’s staying put. When you think back to winning the Triumph Hurdle last year, he finished very well despite his persistence on the New Course, which puts the emphasis on stamina.

He’s got this fair machine, but can anyone see him turning it around with State Man like he’s ridden twice this season?

On the day of the Champion Hurdle, if I was Danny Mullins or whoever was going to ride Vauban, when I went down at the start, I bounced and ran. Maybe Danny will ride and we’ve seen what he can do from the front on some of these Willie Mullins horses over the last few seasons – and Flooring Porter, too.

I can only see Vauban being there with the State Man at the end and giving people a run for their money if they ride this guy. In the market without Constitution Hill or just to be placed, which can prove to be a good bet on the day if they change up.

Strength- I have the stamina of this horse’s trump card, but it needs a chance to show

Weak point – Country Man has twice the size they clashed

amazing

We are not 100 percent sure where Epatante will run. He entered the Champion Hurdle, but had to be improved for the Mares’ Hurdle. I see he is 20/1 Non-Runner No Bet with some company for the Champion Hurdle and maybe every-way part of the price is a big touch about the former champion?

After doing Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown last season, and has been put away so easily by Constitution Hill in the Fighting Fifth, I think we all ask ourselves is he gone as a force in the Champion Hurdle image or, he is just too good. now?

I race in Doncaster told us, because watching that visual, I went ‘wow!’. I know he had every right to win like that, but he was fantastic that day, winning with his head on his chest.

Maybe we’re just not giving Constitution Hill its full due or maybe another way of looking at it is to ask: ‘Was last year’s Champion Hurdle form just not strong?’

I know Nicky (Henderson) has been happy with Epatante though, and he has not had a reoccurrence of the old back injury and fair to him, the ground in the Christmas Hurdle was softer than good, while also taking on Constitution Hill.

Epatante is a mare that we know loves Cheltenham; he is a former hurdles champion and also second in last year’s Champion, and but for a serious mistake at the end, he would have really roughed up Honeysuckle. I can’t emphasize enough how hard it is to get back up that mountain after a mistake like that.

As we saw at Doncaster, he is very happy to be back in a better place so the spring will also be a positive for him when Nicky will set the pounds for the race.

Power- He has won the Champion Hurdle and placed in two others

Weak point – You have to wonder if the young horse has improved over him now