It looks like it’s all systems go for Constitution Hill ahead of Friday’s Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown – but in a race that’s been dominated by the Irish since 1999 – who was the last ‘non-Irish-trained’ winner of the big Grade One race and just how many British winners have there been?
The Boodles Champion Hurdle Has Only Been Won Three Times By A British Trainer Since 1999
Since the current version of the Boodles Champion Hurdle was introduced in 1999, the race has seen a stack of home-trained Irish winners – with only THREE successful horses coming outside of Ireland.
Meaning, the Nicky Henderson-trained Constitution Hill will be looking to become only the fourth – as the former Champion Hurdler looks to get his career back on track after two high-profile falls at Cheltenham and Aintree recently.
The ‘good news’, however, for Constitution Hill backers is that two of these non-Irish-trained winners were trained by Nicky Henderson, who is responsible for the 8 year-old.
Buveur D’Air was the most recent in 2019, while Punjabi was his other in 2008 – both, of course, were also previous Cheltenham Champion Hurdle winners too.
The other British-trained winner of the Boodles Punchestown Champion Hurdle was Quazar back in 2003, for the Jonjo O’Neill camp.
Constitution Hill will be joined by the only other British-trained runner in the race – Golden Ace, who made the most of the Champion Hurdle carnage to record a famous victory in the Cheltenham day one feature earlier this season (watch below).
Golden Ace is trained in Somerset by Jeremy Scott.
Golden Ace and Constitution Hill will both take on the two-time winner State Man, plus several other Irish runners.
These are mainly from the Willie Mullins team, who have won this race ten times in the past.
However, a certain Gordon Elliott is YET to win the Boodles Champion Hurdle. With the other big Irish yards to have won the prize Jessica Harrington (4 wins) and Henry de Bromhead (2 wins).
British-Trained Boodles Champion Hurdle Winners Since 1999
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- 2019 – Buveur D’Air
- 2008 – Punjabi
- 2003 – Quazar
Eight Of The Last 10 Punchestown Champion Hurdle Favourites Have Won
The odds with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK are making it a tight affair at the head of the market – with State Man and Constitution Hill the main players.
But if Constitution Hill does end up market leader – the plus is that his race has been kind to the favourites.
As 13 of the last 20 jollies have won and eight of the last 10 (1 joint).
Punchestown Gold Cup Race Info 🏆
📅Date: Friday 2nd May 2025
⌚Time: 6:40pm
🏇Racecourse: Punchestown
🔄Trip: 2m
💷Winner: €177,000
📺 TV: RTV
Boodles Punchestown Champion Hurdle Trends and Stats
- Willie Mullins trained the winner in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023 & 2024
- 10 of the last 13 winners returned odds-on in the betting
- 17 of the last 19 winners were Irish-trained
- Paul Townend has ridden the last two winners
- 13 of the last 20 favourites (2 joint) have won
- 12 of the last 18 winners won last time out
- 16 of the last 17 winners finished in the top 3 last time out
- 17 of the last 19 winners were aged 6 or older
- 16 of the last 25 winners ran in that season’s Champion Hurdle
- The current Champion Hurdler is yet to finish out of the top two when running
- 16 of the last 19 winners returned 3/1 or shorter in the betting
Boodles Champion Hurdle Winners (Last 10 Runnings)
- 2024 – STATE MAN (2/7 fav)
- 2023 – STATE MAN (2/5 fav)
- 2022 – HONEYSUCKLE (1/5 fav)
- 2021 – HONEYSUCKLE (4/7 fav)
- 2020 – No race (Covid)
- 2019 – BUVEUR D’AIR (2/1 jfav)
- 2018 – SUPASUNDAE (7/1)
- 2017 – WICKLOW BRAVE (12/1)
- 2016 – VROUM VROUM MAG (4/6 fav)
- 2015 – FAUGHEEN (1/6 fav)
- 2014 – JEZKI (4/5 fav)
