Betting Tips and Previews: Cheltenham Festival 2024

Honeysuckle Set To Retain Champion Hurdle Crown



Like Tweet +1

(2.7 minutes read time)

Banker of the meeting. The essential leg of any Cheltenham acca. The accolades associated with Henry De Bromhead’s superstar mare are plentiful and they are rightly deserved after 15 wins on the bounce.

championhurdle_honeysuckle.jpg
She’s back for The Cheltenham Festival next week to defend her Champion Hurdle crown in a field which is difficult to see where a viable challenge may emerge.

We will size up the opposition and check out the best bets available for The Champion Hurdle from our partner firms.

300x250.gif

 (#AD)

IS HONEYSUCKLE UNBEATABLE?

It’s not so much about the case of Honeysuckle, it’s more about the quality of the opposition. It may be harsh on the superstar mare’s rivals but it’s hard to see which horse is going to lay a glove on the Henry de Bromhead 8-year-old.

The 7ib weight allowance for mares is one thing to consider, however the X factor element of Honeysuckle comes from her ability to switch on the destruct button whenever she pleases.

rachelblackmore_honeysuckle_championhurdle.jpg
Whether she kicks away from 2 out or 3 out, no horse has been able to keep up with her devastating turn of foot at the business end of her races.

Unwise to look anywhere else unless for a decent priced each way proposition. Cheltenham banker accas should get off to the perfect start in this leg.

Best priced at 4/7 with William Hill

CAN APPRECIATE IT OVERCOME THE LONG ABSENCE?

Last year’s emphatic Supreme Novices winner has not been seen out since that victory. A chasing career was planned; however, this was curtailed after a few setbacks.

He was due to take his place in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month but pulled out days before. Therefore, a lot of question marks remain about what sort of horse Appreciate It will be when he turns up on Tuesday.

appreciateit_championhurdle.jpeg
This would be one of the training performances of all time if Willie Mullins can pull this one off, but it’s a big ask and 7/2 (bet365, William Hill, Bet Victor, Betfred, Boylesports) is atrocious value when you think that Appreciate It is only 1 out of 2 at Cheltenham if you remember his bumper defeat to Ferny Hollow in 2020.

Far better value can be found elsewhere.

THE EACH WAY OPTIONS

TEAHUPOO

This Gordon Elliott trained smart youngster found himself in the mix when winning comfortably in The Red Mills Trial Hurdle, beating Darasso and Quilixios in the process.

teahupoo_championhurdle.jpg
The stats are not in his favour as a five-year-old considering that 14 of the past 17 winners are aged between six and eight. Nevertheless, he is sure to improve on that and therefore enters each way calculations at 8/1 (William Hill, Bet Victor, Betfred, Boylesports).

EPATANTE

The 2020 winner has shown that she has retained some of her exceptional ability this season with some consistent performances.

epatante_championhurdle.jpeg
Trainer Nicky Henderson is very pleased with her and the 7ib mares allowance provides confidence for the backer that she may do better than her placing from last year. 10/1 with bet365 including Best Odds Guaranteed and NRNB.

300x250_BF_Cheltenham60_Feb22.gif

ZANAHIYR

The Gordon Elliot trained second string has been in good form this season but still has nearly 7 lengths to find on Honeysuckle. 16/1 with William Hill, Bet Victor, Betfred and Boylesports.

ADAGIO

The David Pipe trained entry has some eye-catching form which certainly gives him a squeak if he ups his game. Second behind West Cork in the Greatwood at Cheltenham was an impressive run and his second behind Goshen in the recent Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton was even better as Goshen is no slouch when going right-handed.

Plenty to prove at this level but surely worth a few pennies each way at 16/1 (William Hill, Betfred, Bet Victor, Boylesports).

VERDICT

Very difficult to see this race going anywhere but Honeysuckle’s such is her ability, form, turn of foot and weight allowance.

Appreciate It is clearly not far off Honeysuckle’s level but the lack of a run and question marks over the horse's nonappearances this season makes him a risky opposition and should make for a more viable match in next season’s championship if he continues down the hurdles route.

Much better value is to be found with Epatante, Zanahiyr or Adagio at decent prices.

300x250.gif

 (#AD)

Our Recommended Cheltenham Festival 2022 Betting Offers

Bet365

Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets

New Customers (available throughout Cheltenham Festival 2022)

300x250.gif

 (#AD)

Key Terms of the Offer:

Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.(#Ad)

Join and Claim Offer with bet365

Betfred

Bet £10 Get £60 in Bonuses

New Customers (available throughout Cheltenham Festival)

Betfred-Cheltenham-Festival-Betting-Offer-2022.jpg

Key Terms of the Offer:

New UK customers only. Register using the promo code BETFRED60, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £20 in Free Bets to be used on Sports, £10 in Free Bets to be used on Lotto and 50 Free Spins (20p per spin) credited within 48 hours of bet settlement. Further £20 in Free Bets credited 5 days after settlement. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply.

Join and Claim Offer with Betfred

Bet Victor

Bet £5 Get £30 in Bonuses

New Customers (available throughout Cheltenham Festival)

Bet-Victor-Cheltenham-Festival-Betting-Offer.jpg

Key Terms of the Offer:

18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £5 at odds 2.00+ within 7 days of registering, no cashout. Get 2x £10 Free Bets, set events at odds 2.00+. Plus a £10 Slot Bonus, selected games, wager 20x to withdraw max £250. 7 day bonus expiry. Card payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly

Join and Claim Offer with Bet Victor!

Boylesports

Bet £10, Get £20 in Free Bets (plus up to 7 places on Each Way bets every day of the Festival)

New customers (available throughout Cheltenham Festival)

Boylesports-Cheltenham-Festival-2022-Betting-Offer.jpg

Key Terms of the Offer: 

New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&C's Apply **18+. UK & IRE mobile customers only. 1/5 Odds. 25+ must run for 7 places. Applies to Each-Way Market only. Race will revert to normal place terms if criteria not met. Applies to bets placed from 8 am on the day of the race. Applies to Outright Betting only. T&Cs apply

Join and Claim Offer with Boylesports

William Hill

Bet £10 Get £60 (£40 In Free Sports Bets + £20 Casino Bonus)

New customers (available throughout Cheltenham Festival until 18th March 2022)

Cheltenham_Festival-60-2022-Betting-Offer.jpg

Key Terms of the Offer:

18+. Play safe. New customers who sign-up using promo code S60 only. 1x per customer. Min £/€10 bet. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Free bets of 4 x £/€10 issued after first qualifying bet settles. Max £/€20 Bonus. 35x wagering requirement. Max redeemable bonus: £25. Casino bonus expires after 72 hours. UK & Eire only. Additional T&Cs, including free-bet, game, location, payment method and stake contributions apply. See full terms below. #ad

Join and Claim Offer with William Hill!

MORE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2022!

Please note all odds are correct at the time of publishing (12am 11th March 2022) and are subject to change.

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply

Click to Claim
Matt is Howtobet4free's resident Horse Racing expert, writer, tipster and a huge Cheltenham Festival fan. He occasionally dabbles in Golf, Football and anything else you can gamble on!

View other articles by

Comments & Feedback

Please log in to join the conversation. Login