Champion Hurdle Tip: ‘He’s the only one that could put it up to Honeysuckle’ 🍯

Welcome to my Cheltenham Festival 2022 tracker where I will be keeping a log of all of my ante-post bets. We are now well into January and after an exciting December, we learnt a lot and gained many clues for the showpiece event in March.

I will have a selection for all of my followers every week and will only choose one horse per race. All of my horses will be found at the bottom of my weekly article. So let’s move on to my next selection which comes in what could turn out to be a fascinating renewal of the Champion Hurdle.

Champion Hurdle

The unbeaten superstar mare Honeysuckle headlines the Tuesday card and will be a warm order to repeat last year’s success under Rachael Blackmore. If she turns up anywhere close to her best, she probably will win but she is not a hard working man’s price so she has to be taken on really for me. There has to be better value elsewhere as an each-way play or in the ‘without the favourite’ market.

Appreciate It hasn’t been seen in a long time and although the former Arkle favourite is now going to stay over hurdles, it would be some effort to come back and win a Champion Hurdle. The form of last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has worked out terribly for all he was electric on the day and I would have to oppose him as things stand.

Epatante isn’t good enough anymore and none of the youngsters look that special so that leaves me with one horse, SHARJAH. Second in the race last year, he was well beaten by Honeysuckle but he was also well clear of Epatante who was back in third. It still looks a pretty weak division so the 7-2 on offer with William Hill without Honeysuckle looks a fantastic price to me. The six-time Grade 1 winner is not to be underestimated and if Honeysuckle fails to deliver, he should take advantage.

Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Selections

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: My Mate Mozzie – 1pt win @ 14-1 (bet365, Paddy Power)
Champion Chase: Nube Negra – 1pt win @ 10-1 (SkyBet, BetVictor, Boylesports)
Stayers’ Hurdle: Buzz – 1pt win @ 8-1 (bet365)
Festival Novices’ Chase: Beacon Edge – 1pt win @ 20-1 (Boylesports)
Ryanair Chase: Asterion Forlonge – 1pt win @ 20-1 (bet365)
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle: Blazing Khal – 1pt win @ 5-1 (bet365)
Champion Hurdle: Sharjah without Honeysuckle – 3pts win @ 7-2 (Hills)

If you back any of our selections you can watch them live on the free Racing Post app or racingpost.com. Simply log in to one of your bookmaker accounts and click ‘Watch live’ on the racecards.