Paddy Power Champion Hurdle tips and best bets for 5.25 at Punchestown

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

Honeysuckle is the red-hot favourite to retain her Paddy Power Champion Hurdle title at Punchestown on Friday.

Henry de Bromhead’s unbeaten mare attempts to make it an incredible 16 wins on the spin and faces just five rivals after Supreme winner Constitution Hill and 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante swerved a clash.

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Adagio is the only British challenger to cross the Irish Sea, while Darasso, Echoes In Rain, Saint Roi and Teahupoo complete the home contingent.

All four of our tipsters are backing Honeysuckle to win the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle but they’ve also found alternative betting angles…

PADDY POWER CHAMPION HURDLE RUNNER-BY-RUNNER GUIDE AS HONEYSUCKLE FACES 5 AT PUNCHESTOWN

Mick Fitzgerald: HONEYSUCKLE is rattling up the wins and for all the people saying she hasn’t beaten much, the form of her Champion Hurdle win was franked by Epatante winning impressively at Aintree. A succession of wins takes some doing at the very top level. Teahupoo is the likely second with the Cheltenham disappointment the only blip.

Racing Post: This should be a simple task for the unbeaten HONEYSUCKLE. What will win the race for second place is of potentially more punting interest, and if Saint Roi can run as well as he did when fourth at Cheltenham he looks the leading contender for that role.

Timeform: It’s pretty much impossible to oppose superstar mare HONEYSUCKLE, who retained her Champion Hurdle crown in decisive fashion at last month’s Cheltenham Festival. She should have little trouble in also repeating her 2021 success in this race. Saint Roi performed with plenty of credit when fourth to Honeysuckle at Cheltenham and gets the nod for forecast purposes ahead of Teahupoo, who was well below par in the same race but is much better than he showed that day.

Ruby Walsh: It’s very hard to see any other result than HONEYSUCKLE winning. She’s scared off the opposition and is looking for her 16th consecutive win. Everyone will want to see her win again even though she’ll be no price. Maybe Darasso can chase her home in the ‘Betting Without’ market.