Back where it belongs. After fourteen modern renewals at Ffos Las, the Welsh Champion Hurdle 2025 preview starts right here — as the race returns to Chepstow on Sunday, 12 October 2025, as the centrepiece of the new three-day DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival. Chepstow is promoting the homecoming proudly—first run here in 1969, the race once drew legends like Persian War, Bula, Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon—and now it’s back on the Severn for good (we hope).
This isn’t just a change of scenery. Chepstow is a left-handed, undulating, testing two-mile oval with a long home straight (around 4½–5f). That finish punishes weak stayers and rewards rhythm, balance and a clean hurdling technique. It’s also a place where “Good to Soft” can ride attritional when the wind whips down the Wye. In short: this course has a personality.
This year’s renewal at Chepstow racecourse marks the true start of the National Hunt season, setting the tone for autumn with one of the most competitive handicap hurdles of the year.
Below in this Welsh Champion Hurdle 2025 preview, I’ll set the scene with a quick history, analyse what recent winners have looked like, and map those traits onto this year’s field before finishing with my betting tips.
A quick history of the Welsh Champion Hurdle (Chepstow and Ffos Las)
Chepstow staged the race from 1969 to 2002, often at Easter, and in its pomp it attracted Champion Hurdle royalty—Persian War (1969), Bula (1971), Night Nurse (1976 & 1977) and Sea Pigeon (1980). Field sizes ebbed in the 1990s; the race dipped in class and eventually dropped off the programme after 2002. It was revived in 2011 as a Limited Handicap at Ffos Las, initially in February (2011), tried at 2m4f in 2013, then moved to mid-October in 2016 and back to 2m. From October 2025 it returns to Chepstow as part of the new festival. That’s the official arc.
Recent memory at Ffos Las has been lively. Lump Sum won the 2024 renewal on Good to Soft (soft in places) in 3m 44.86s, leading a Sam Thomas one-two from Steel Ally. In 2023 it was Nemean Lion for Kerry Lee; 2022 went to the bold-jumping front-runner Effernock Fizz; 2021 to Glory And Fortune; and, notably for the “topweights can do this” file, Sceau Royal lumped 11-6 to win in 2020.
The return to Chepstow matters, and not just romantically. Chepstow’s shape and finish ask slightly different questions than Ffos Las, and historical Chepstow winners tended to be proper horses who could travel, jump, then sustain a long drive to the line. Course traits should inform our shortlists this year.
Official past winners, times and records for every renewal can be found on the Racing Post Welsh Champion Hurdle page — a trusted reference for race history and stats.
What recent Welsh Champion Hurdle winners tell us (2018–2024 trends)
Rather than drown you in a spreadsheet, here are clear, verifiable pointers from the latest runnings, with examples:
- Age band: 5–7 dominates.
2018 Silver Streak (5yo), 2019 Monsieur Lecoq (5yo), 2021 Glory And Fortune (6yo), 2022 Effernock Fizz (7yo), 2023 Nemean Lion (6yo), 2024 Lump Sum (6yo). The one outlier among these was the battle-hardened Sceau Royal at 8yo in 2020—i.e., class can trump the trend. - Top of the handicap can win.
Sceau Royal (8, 11-6) landed the 2020 edition; Nemean Lion (6, 11-4) carried a good weight in 2023; Lump Sum (6, 11-6) did likewise in 2024. Takeaway: don’t be afraid of a horse with 11-4 to 11-12 if the class is there and the jumping holds. - Form and fluency matter.
The winners above either arrived with recent wins/placings or had Graded/Listed ability on the page. Effernock Fizz’s 2022 win was a front-running clinic; Glory And Fortune came in off high-class efforts and had a slick technique. - October ground is rarely rattling quick.
Recent renewals read Good to Good to Soft, occasionally soft in places (2024). Chepstow in mid-October rarely rides “summer quick”; it rewards horses effective on a bit of ease.
These racing trends form a reliable form guide for punters looking for genuine Welsh Champion Hurdle betting tips ahead of Sunday’s action.
Now layer those on Chepstow’s left-handed, undulating, long-run-in geometry. The composite “winner profile” becomes:
Age 5–7, carrying 11-4 to 11-12 (if the talent fits), proven or strongly suggested 2m form, sound hurdling, able to travel and sustain a finish on easing ground—ideally from a yard that targets early-season hurdlers.
Welsh Champion Hurdle 2025 runners and key contenders
At the five-day stage the racecard lists 10 entries for 2m 11y, Class 2 (Limited Handicap), including a strong top-end with multiple six-year-olds and double-digit stones. Key names include Celtic Dino, No Ordinary Joe, Wilful, Tutti Quanti, Alexei, Listentoyourheart, Norman Fletcher, Balhambar, Tour Ovalie and Scintillante. (Weights/ratings as per racecards.)
Your working ground expectation is Good —perfectly plausible for Chepstow in mid-October—and tactically important: you want horses who either (a) sit handy with efficient jumping or (b) travel sweetly and lengthen up the long straight.
Below, I map the winner profile onto the most relevant runners (using published racecards for age/weight/OR and recent public form).
For broader context on who could make an impact this autumn, check out our Horses to Follow 2025–26 Jumps Season guide — it highlights emerging hurdlers and chasers likely to feature in races just like this one.
Chepstow profile: how each Welsh Champion Hurdle contender fits the trends
Celtic Dino (6yo, 11-10) — Sam Thomas yard
Age: bang on. Weight: ideal. Yard: last year’s 1-2 in this race, and they’ve clearly targeted the Welsh programme. Thomas’s team understand how to prep one to travel and quicken in this specific test; with 11-10 he sits in the “topweights can win” camp. If his recent figures are close to spring levels, he’s the statistical bullseye.
Wilful (6yo, 11-7)
Six years old, north of 11-6, and with Jonjo O’Neill muscle behind the campaign. He feels like the solid, efficient jumper whose best weapon is rhythm rather than flash. If the race goes an honest gallop and they string out turning in, Wilful looks tailor-made to keep finding up the hill. Live player.
Tutti Quanti (5yo, 11-5) — Paul Nicholls
A year younger than the modal six, but 5–7 is the right band and the Nicholls factor at Chepstow in October is significant (he places progressive hurdlers cleverly at this meeting). Weight 11-5 is just under our “ideal 11-6+” line, but the trainer power + profile make up the difference. If he jumps slickly and enjoys the turns, he’s a major.
Listentoyourheart (6yo, 10-13) — Dan Skelton
Age perfect; weight lighter than the model prefers, but that’s not a death sentence—he’ll travel on Good to Soft and could creep into it if they overcook it up front. Skelton’s autumn hurdlers are tightly tuned. Place claims at least; win chance rises if the ground eases further.
Balhambar (6yo, 10-9)
Age fine; class figure (OR) on the light side for a Chepstow limited handicap if the principals run to mark. He’d want a perfectly run race to nick it late. More sneaky exotics than top-pick material.
(Other entries— Alexei, Norman Fletcher, Tour Ovalie and Scintillante—either sit a notch or two below the class/weight window or don’t match the age sweet-spot as cleanly. They can run well, but they don’t scream “profile horse” to win this specific Chepstow test.).
Chepstow pace, tactics and ground analysis
Chepstow’s undulations and long run-in magnify small inefficiencies: a messy jump at the top of the hill, an over-eager move four out, or a short blow turning in will all be exposed. It often favours horses who can sit within striking distance, jump economically, then lengthen for 3–4 furlongs rather than needing a sharp two-furlong burst. If the weather leaves it Good to Soft, expect a grinding finish rather than pure speed. That’s why the top-weight/class horses remain so dangerous—they can absorb an end-to-end gallop and still be there at the last.
Historically, soft ground form has been crucial here, and understanding trainer form in early October can make the difference between a winner and a near miss.
Welsh Champion Hurdle 2025 shortlist and betting tips
This Welsh Champion Hurdle 2025 preview shortlist is built by weighting (i) age window, (ii) weight carried, (iii) trainer/placement, (iv) ground suitability, (v) course fit (Chepstow geometry) and (vi) recent evidence from Ffos Las-era winners.
1) Celtic Dino (6yo, 11-10) — Sam Thomas
Top selection. He lands smack in the historical/modern sweet-spot: six, double-figure stones, yard in love with this race (1-2 last year), and an autumn target profile that makes sense now the race is back right-hand… sorry, left-hand at Chepstow with a finish that rewards rhythm and stamina at two miles. If he arrives in similar shape to his best 2024 runs, he’s the one most aligned to the Chepstow model.
How he wins: travels in the front third, jumps slickly, and lengthens from two out.
3) Tutti Quanti (5yo, 11-5) — Paul Nicholls
Major player / value if overlooked. Five-year-olds have won this in the modern era (Silver Streak, Monsieur Lecoq), and Nicholls has long used Chepstow in October to launch improvers. 11-5 is a touch below the “ideal” 11-6+ line but still in the winning zone if the horse is ahead of the assessor. He’s the danger to the two six-year-olds if the ground rides a shade quicker side of Good to Soft.
How he wins: progressive switch-of-gear from the bend; hurdles sharp; finds more late.
4) Wilful (6yo, 11-7)
Solid each-way. Checks the trend boxes cleanly (age/weight/yard) and looks the metronome type who’ll keep answering. He may lack the flashy gear change of the top two, but Chepstow often rewards the honest grinder who meets everything on a stride. Very live place chance; wins if the principals underperform or if his jumping elevates him into the perfect rhythm early.
5) Listentoyourheart (6yo, 10-13) — Dan Skelton
Sneaky place play. Lighter than ideal, but the yard and the age make him interesting if the race collapses late. He’s the sort who could tank into it turning in; whether he can out-stay chunkier rivals giving him weight is the question. At prices, I’d include him in combinations.
If you enjoy tracking early-season form, don’t miss our Horses to Follow series — featuring trainer-by-trainer insights and progressive types to watch throughout the National Hunt campaign.
Final thoughts and Welsh Champion Hurdle 2025 predictions
- Chepstow amplifies stamina at two miles. Don’t undervalue the ability to sustain for 3–4f after the last.
- Topweights can absolutely win this, as the roll-call of recent Ffos Las winners demonstrates (Sceau Royal 11-6; Lump Sum 11-6), and Chepstow’s history leans that way too.
- With Good to Soft likely, I’m drawing lines through horses who only look electric on proper good ground. Chepstow’s finish will find them out.
Before diving into the next weekend’s action, you can check our National Hunt 2025–2026 calendar for all upcoming fixtures, festivals, and key handicap hurdles across the season.
As part of the Chepstow Festival, the race attracts yards that use it as a key prep for the coming National Hunt season, blending prestige with early-season sharpness.
My picks (staking logic left to your discretion)
- Celtic Dino — main bet
- Tutti Quanti — danger; upgrade on any strong market signal from Ditcheat
- Wilful — each-way, very solid profile
- Listentoyourheart — bigger-price place sprayer
To wrap up this Welsh Champion Hurdle 2025 preview, the data points clearly towards Celtic Dino, Cracking Rhapsody, and Tutti Quanti as the most logical trio for Chepstow 2025.
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