Champion Hurdle

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle, a huge favourite for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, is the most backed ante-post horse for any individual race at Cheltenham across the first two months of 2022.

The eight-year-old is 14 from 14 so far, and the oddschecker community appears convinced that she will make it a perfect 15 in defending her Champion Hurdle crown. Ferny Hollow is out injured, while Appreciate It has not been seen since his explosive 24-length victory in last year's Supreme.

On the third episode of Racing Weekly, top tipster Sam Turner said that another win for Rachael Blackmore on Honeysuckle is a near enough foregone conclusion. Interestingly enough, many of you have already backed her for a Champion Hurdle hat-trick in 2023.

Ryanair Chase

Allaho

The second member of the most backed ante-post club is Allaho (62.9% of race bets), now odds on (best price 4/6) to successfully defend the Ryanair Chase. The market suggests that Energumene (entry dependent) could be his biggest challenger, but Architect Tips was impressed by 12/1 chance Fakir D’oudairies.

He said: “Considering it was really testing conditions and David Bass had given the runner-up Two For Gold a peach of a ride, Fakir’s performance can be upgraded as he really had to show his class after a slow leap at the second-last. 

“While he has been beaten by Allaho three times, the pair could lock horns for a fourth time in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, though connections have hinted that a return to Aintree could come under consideration, where he won the Melling Chase last April.”

Champion Chase

Shishkin

Trainer Nicky Henderson still insists that Shishkin is “no banker” for the Champion Chase despite last year’s Arkle Chase winner now cut into a best price 4/5 favourite. Bets on Shishkin for the Champion Chase 2022 account for 2.3% of ante-post racing bets through oddschecker.

The stage is set for a rematch with Energumene after a classic encounter in the Clarence House at Ascot. “Considering Shishkin made one or two notable errors on the way around, his effort in victory was even more commendable,” said Andy Holding as part of our Road to Cheltenham blog series.

“While connections of the runner-up, Energumene, will fancy their chances in the rematch at the Cheltenham Festival, it's still hard to see him turning around the form with his great rival.”

Third favourite for the race behind Shishkin and Energumene is Chacun Pour Soi (best price 6/1), winner of the recent Ladbrokes Dublin Chase and the big hope for Willie Mullins in the only Championship race at the Cheltenham Festival he has still yet to win.

Supreme Novices' Hurdle

Constitution Hill

In fourth place is Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill, who remains the marginal favourite (9/4) for the opener at the Cheltenham Festival 2022. He has taken 24.1% of the individual ante-post race bets through oddschecker so far this year. 

However, he is being chased hard in the market by both Sir Gerhard (7/2) – a firm favourite of Racing Weekly host Rishi Persad – and Dysart Dynamo, a shade shorter at a best price of 3/1. Interestingly, Sir Gerhard has taken more bets than Dysart Dynamo. 

Constitution Hill shortened into favouritism for the race with a dominant display in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January. His stablemate Jonbon comes just after Dysart Dynamo and Sir Gerhard as fourth favourite for the race at a best price of 9/2.

Brown Advisory Novices' Chase

Galopin Des Champs

Galopin Des Champs would actually be second were this filtered for total ante-post bets this year. That’s because the six-year-old, backed heavily in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (48.3% of the bets), has also received substantial backing for the Turners Novices’ Chase – a market in which he is now level with Bob Olinger.

Bravemansgame, meanwhile, cemented his position as one of Galopin Des Champs' rivals for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase with a fine weight carrying performance at Newbury in early February.

Andy Holding said: “Not for the first time, the key feature of his display was his pin-point accurate jumping and although he seems to lack the brilliance of Galopin Des Champs at this stage, you can't underestimate how valuable that flawless technique will be around Cheltenham.”