2026 Irish Champion Hurdle Trends
The Irish Champion Hurdle is a Grade One race run over 2m and held at Leopardstown racecourse each year in early February.
In recent years, top hurdlers like Istabraq, Hardy Eustace, Brave Inca, and, more recently, Hurricane Fly, Honeysuckle and State Man have graced the roll of honour.
While it's a race that has always been a decent guide ahead of the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with State Man in 2024 the most recent horse win win both races in the same season.
Top Irish trainer Willie Mullins has won 9 of the last 15 runnings, including 12 months ago again with State Man, who was winning the race for a third time.
It’s also been a big race for punters in recent years with 14 of the last 16 Irish Champion Hurdle favourites winning! The only non-favourites to win was Supasundae in 2018 - when he beat the jolly Faugheen - and last year when State Man won at 5/4 after 8/11 shot Lossiemouth fell.
Here at GeeGeez we are on hand with all the key stats ahead of the 2026 renewal – this year staged on Sunday 1st February.
Recent Irish Champion Hurdle Winners
2025 - STATE MAN (5/4 fav)
2024 - STATE MAN (2/5 fav)
2023 – STATE MAN (6/5 Fav)
2022 - HONEYSUCKLE (1/5 fav)
2021 - HONEYSUCKLE (10/11 fav)
2020 – HONEYSUCKLE (8/11 fav)
2019 – APPLE’S JADE (8/11 fav)
2018 – SUPASUNDAE (8/1)
2017 – PETIT MOUCHOIR (9/10 fav)
2016 – FAUGHEEN (3/10 fav)
2015 – HURRICANE FLY (11/10 fav)
2014 – HURRICANE FLY (4/7 fav)
2013 – HURRICANE FLY (1/6 fav)
2012 – HURRICANE FLY (4/5 fav)
2011 – HURRICANE FLY (4/9 fav)
2010 - SOLWHIT (5/6 fav)
2009 – BRAVE INCA (11/4)
2008 – SIZING EUROPE (10/3)
2007 – HARDY EUSTACE (9/1)
2006 – BRACE INCA (6/5 fav)
2005 – MACS JOY (11/8 fav)
2004 – FOREMAN (8/1)
Key Irish Champion Hurdle Trends
21/22 – Placed in the top three last time
19/22 – Raced within the last 2 months
19/22 – Had won at Leopardstown before
19/22 – Returned 10/3 or shorter in the betting
19/22 – Rated 158 or higher
18/22 – Winning distance – 1 length or more
17/22 – Won last time out
16/22 – Winning favourites
15/22 – Went onto finish in the top six of that season’s Champion Hurdle
14/22 – Raced within the last 5 weeks
14/22 – Raced at Leopardstown last time out
11/22 – Irish bred
9/22 – Trained by Willie Mullins (9 of last 15 runnings & 9 in total)
5/22 - Trained by Henry De Bromhead (4 of the last 9 runnings)
6/22 – Went onto win the Champion Hurdle
3 of the last 17 winners were second season hurdlers
The average winning SP in the last 23 runnings is 13/8
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