Is Faugheen a Good Bet for the 2017 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham?

January 23, 2017January 23, 2017 Andy Clark Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham 2017, cheltenham festival, Faugheen

Faugheen is expected to return next weekend ahead of his proposed Cheltenham Festival run in the 2017 Champion Hurdle on Tuesday 14th March.

The horse has not been seen since the Irish Champion Hurdle last year and missed last season’s Cheltenham Champion Hurdle. He won the race in 2015 at Cheltenham and is the current favourite in the latest Champion Hurdle betting odds for this season.

Champion Hurdle 2017 Preview

With the exception of stablemate Annie Power, the Champion Hurdle field doesn’t look as strong as past years and it looks to be at the mercy of Faugheen if Annie Power goes back to the Mares Hurdle as anticipated.

The current second favourite is Yanworth who has questions over his hurdling ability and in a race like the frantic Champion Hurdle around Cheltenham, any mistake will be punished. He won the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton but was not fluent over the obstacles before staying on strongly to win by 3 ¾ lengths.

The current odds for Faugheen to win the Champion Hurdle 2017 are 15/8 with Betfair and that price could look huge following the Irish Champion Hurdle this weekend. It would be a gamble to take that price before his reappearance at Leopardstown.

If Annie Power does try to defend her crown she will be around 10lb inferior of Faugheen’s 2015 performance so the odds of 6/1 at Ladbrokes certainly don’t appeal while Faugheen is in the betting.

The one major concern for Faugheen ante-post backers is his constant injuries. He missed the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November before being pulled out of the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse with his assistant trainer saying “I Imagine we’ll be aiming at Christmas with him. We’ll just wait until he’s really sparkling again.” There was no Faugheen over Christmas.

Non-runner No Bet

The only way to bet on Faugheen for the Champion Hurdle is using the bet365 no runner no bet offer. The risk of him once again missing the Festival are too great and for that insurance the best odds you will get are 5/4 at bet365. Fair enough, those odds are a lot shorter than the 15/8 at Betfair, but the risk that Faugheen will miss his engagement are just too big to take the chance.

Bet365 NRNB and Best Odds Guaranteed

If you are betting on the Cheltenham Festival Championship races or the Ryaniar Chase you need to use bet365's non-runner no bet promotion. This basically means if your horse doesn't run you will get a refund. They are also offering you best odds guaranteed so if your selection goes off bigger on the day, you will get the bigger odds for your bet. There is also a £200 sign-up bonus for new customers using the steps below to get a new bet365 account.

How to get the £200 sign-up bonus at bet365:

1. Click this link to bet365 and open an account

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