Last year's winner is expected to be out for the season, prompting punters to look elsewhere.
Punters are looking ahead to next year’s Cheltenham Festival, backing Klassical Dream to win the Champion Hurdle, backing him into clear favourite.
Shortening from 6/1 as far as 3/1 in places, Willie Mullins’ Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner has received 57% of bets on the 2020 Champion Hurdle market today.
The surge in betting activity comes after owners announced that 2019 Champion Hurdle winner Espoir D’Allen would likely miss the season through injury.
The five-year-old produced one of the shocks of the 2019 festival when scoring a record 15-length victory for trainer Gavin Cromwell.
All the build-up had focused on a shootout between Buveur D’Air, Laurina and Apple’s Jade, but it was the youngest in the field that left the stars in his dust.
Meanwhile, Klassical Dream kicked the festival off to a roaring start with an impressive win in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle under Ruby Walsh. Punters fancy him to step up to a bigger crown this time.
Nicky Henderson’s Buveur D’Air is currently second favourite for the race at 7/1, the two-time winner hoping to get back on track after falling early in this year’s race.
Another Henderson hopeful is Pentland Hills at 12/1, the 20/1 winner of this year’s Triumph Hurdle.
Oddschecker spokesperson Callum Wilson: “2019 was Willie Mullins’ year with the Irish trainer finally adding the Gold Cup to his heaving honours list.
“The horse that got his festival off to a flying start, Klassical Dream, is now the punters’ pick for glory in the 2020 Champion Hurdle. Much like the ante-post market for 2019’s renewal, the current market suggests it will be a head-to-head between Henderson and Mullins for this race.”
