Constitution Hill’s shadow looms over Champion Hurdle with Willie Mullins having as many entries as Britain

The Unibet Champion Hurdle may be the most nuanced of the championship races at the Cheltenham Festival when it comes to assessing the 16-strong entry for this year’s contest.

On the one hand, this year has attracted the lowest field since 2011 and only six horses trained in Britain have been entered – the same number as the Willie Mullins possibles.

After last week’s low entry and minimal British representation  in the Gold Cup, there could be reason for growing concerns about the balance of power between Britain and Ireland in March.