Adagio in action

Cheltenham Festival 2022 tips: Unibet Champion Hurdle preview

By David Massey

16:54 · TUE March 22, 2022

Our Cheltenham antepost series continues with resident tipster David Massey happy to take on Honeysuckle in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

2022 Cheltenham Festival antepost tips

1pt e.w Adagio in the Champion Hurdle at 25/1 (General, NRNB)

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It seems fairly widely accepted that Honeysuckle only needs turn up with a leg in each corner to keep her Champion Hurdle crown, and I’m finding that difficult to argue with after her victories in the Hatton’s Grace and then the Irish Champion Hurdle at the weekend. She’s going to be beaten at some point in the future, but it’s hard to find a reason why that would be in March.

That doesn’t mean that it’s not a market worth looking at, however, and similarly one or two firms are now going up with “without Honeysuckle” markets, and they may offer some value too.

For all the positive talk of Supreme winner Appreciate It from certain quarters, there’s been more sightings of the Loch Ness Monster since last March and at this late stage, that’s got to be of some concern. If any trainer can pull a rabbit out of a hat then Willie can, but he makes no appeal as an ante-post bet.

Epatante has been well placed to win the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle, but even her most ardent supporters will have realised that her form this season leaves her short of what’s required. In the back of my mind, I could see her in the County as an alternative - if only JP had a back-up for the Champion.

The admirable Tommy’s Oscar deserves at least a mention, and fully deserves to take his chance. He’s tough, genuine and progressive, all of which are positives, but there’s a question mark over the track, with all his wins coming on flat tracks to date.

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The surprise absence of Sharjah, who would have been fancied by many to be in the three on the day, opens it up even further as far as the places go, and although it means we’re taking a slightly shorter price about ADAGIO than we were at the start of the week, with one of his main rivals for the placings out of the way he still looks value, and is my selection at this stage.

It seems fairly well accepted that last year’s juveniles have moved forward as a whole, with the aforementioned Zanahiyr holding his own against Sharjah and Honeysuckle this season, Quilixios and Teahupoo both looking improved performers when fighting it out at Limerick over the Christmas period, and Tritonic winning the competitive Betfair Exchange Hurdle at Ascot.

In amongst all that, Triumph second Adagio tried to give the best part of a stone away to a bang-fit and well-handicapped West Cork in the Greatwood at Cheltenham, a very solid effort and one that took his Cheltenham record to 2122. A minor setback before Christmas meant he missed a couple of potential targets, and connections have decided to swerve the Betfair in favour of the Kingwell at Wincanton the week after.

That should be a race that, if he’s to prove up to the task of the Champion Hurdle, you’d be expecting him to win. Goshen looks like being one of his opponents but it’s hard to see who else might turn up and threaten him. If he wins that well, then it brings him back into the public eye and I can see his price contracting a fair bit, given the weaknesses of the opposition (Honeysuckle aside, natch).

Home reports seem to indicate his trainer is much happier with him now, and I do think he’s something of a forgotten horse for this. He has the potential to improve again, and is one of only a couple who’s price could shorten considerably between now and the middle of March. The 25/1 NRNB looks a no-brainer, and Hills' 12/1 without Honeysuckle makes some appeal too. But for the purposes of this piece, we’ll keep it simple, and have 1pt each-way.

Published at 1225 GMT on 10/02/22

Recommended bets archive and schedule…

January 6 – Ben Linfoot – 1pt win Eric Bloodaxe in Albert Bartlett at 16/1
January 13 – Simon Holt - 1pt win Saint Calvados in Ryanair Chase at 10/1
January 20 – Adam Houghton - 1pt e.w Nube Negra in Champion Chase at 12/1
January 27 – Tony McFadden - 1pt win The Glancing Queen in Mares' Chase at 14/1
February 3 – Rory Delargy - 1pt win Ahoy Senor in Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at 8/1 (NRNB)
February 10 – David Massey - 1pt win Adagio in Unibet Champion Hurdle at 25/1 (NRNB)
February 17 – Dan Barber
February 24 – Chris Day
March 3 – David Ord
March 10 – Andrew Asquith

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