Irish Champion Hurdle: runner-by-runner guide and tip

The Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle roll of honour is littered with repeat winners, with Istabraq, Brave Inca, Hurricane Fly, Honeysuckle and State Man all recording multiple wins this century. 

This year, however, there will be a new name on the trophy, and all likelihood, another mare will return victorious, as Lossiemouth and Brighterdayshead head the betting for Sunday's feature at Leopardstown, due off at 3.20.

Here is a guide to all six runners, who have 17 Grade One wins between them.

Best odds: 8-1. RaceiQ Jump Index: 9.0.

Anzadam has had just four runs over hurdles for Willie Mullins and is still open to improvement, but he has work to do with the front pair in the market based on his fourth in the December Hurdle over course and distance last time.

That said, he tanked his way to the front with four hurdles still to take under Patrick Mullins in that race, which set the race up nicely for his pursuers, and if he can settle better and be ridden a touch more conservatively by Harry Cobden this time, he may be seen to better effect.

A fantastic jumper, with a RaceiQ Career Jump Index of 9.0, this is also a much softer surface than he has encountered so far this season. His previous wins have all came on ground ranging from yielding to heavy.

The question is, can he bridge just shy of seven and six lengths on Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead respectively, giving them both 7lb? It is a tough ask.

Best odds: 66-1. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.6.

The outsider of the field according to the market, Casheldale Lad has work to do on ratings here and, like Anzadam, has work to do on recent form after his third in the December Hurdle.

That was still a fine effort from Gordon Elliott's six-year-old and probably a career best, and he had been running a fine race when coming down at the last in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle over two and a half miles prior to that.

Like Anzadam, he wears a hood and is likely to be ridden prominently by Jordan Gainford. This will be the softest ground he has encountered in his ten career starts.

Best odds: 10-1. RaceiQ Jump Index: N/A.

Supremely talented and incredibly frustrating, the mercurial El Fabiolo is three from four over hurdles in Ireland but had been racing exclusively over fences since April 2022 until connections decided to revert back to the smaller obstacles this season.

Having fallen on three of his final four chase starts, that looks a smart decision, and he was impressive in making all over hurdles at Punchestown on his seasonal reappearance last time.

This is a step up in class, however, and whether or not he has the pace for a top-class hurdles contest over two miles remains to be seen, but he handles any ground and has never lost at Leopardstown when completing. It is certainly a race worth aiming for.

Best odds: 25-1. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.1.

The youngest horse in the line up has not been seen since disappointing in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting when sent off a 3-1 chance, so he likely to come on for this run, and although he won a Nottingham maiden on heavy ground for Ralph Beckett, this ground over this trip asks a new question of him.

However, his only two runs over hurdles have been impressive; winning the Triumph Hurdle at 100-1 and finishing second to Lulamba in Punchestown's Grade One Juvenile Hurdle, so he is thoroughly unexposed in this discipline, but this looks a bridge too far off a 229-day break in open company.

Best odds: 15-8. RaceiQ Jump Index: 8.2.

Gordon Elliott's outstanding mare was supposed to go chasing this year, but connections have stuck to a hurdling campaign instead after a slight hold-up delayed her training in the autumn.

Caldwell Potter's half-sister was an incredible 30-length Grade One winner over this course and distance last season, but has failed to get her head in front since.

She did not give her true running when fourth in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and was turned over at Punchestown, but performed much better last time on her seasonal reappearance, giving Lossiemouth a race but ulimately going down by a length.

If she can take a big step forward from that, she holds a big chance of landing a fourth Grade One here at a track we know she enjoys, and she has also won twice on very testing ground.

Best odds: 6-5. RaceiQ Jump Index: 8.2.

A nine-time Grade One winner, her only defeats in 16 starts when completing remain her second here as a juvenile and her second to Constitution Hill at a Kempton track that did not seemingly play to her strengths.

The only other time Lossiemouth has not returned victorious was in this race 12 months ago. Sent off the 8-11 favourite to beat State Man, who knows what would have happened had she not taken a heavy fall four from home, but since then, she is four from four, with victories in the Mares' Hurdle, Morgiana Hurdle and December Hurdle.

It is hard to imagine connections aim her at anything but the Champion Hurdle should she win this and take her record to three from three in open company over two miles this season, and it would be a real shame should she pitch up against her own sex at Cheltenham, particularly how open a division this now looks and her faultless record at Prestbury Park.

Brighterdaysahead will yet again be a worthy adversary and should strip fitter for her run here in December, but she had every chance to go past, and I have a nagging feeling the strong-staying Lossiemouth, who handles heavy ground well, will pull out more again.

1 LOSSIEMOUTH. 2 BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD. 3 ANZADAM.