2014 JCB Triumph Hurdle

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OddDog

OddDog

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Jun 2, 2011
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The Triumph Hurdle is the first race on the Friday of the festival and is open to 4 year-olds only. It is run over 2 miles 1 furlong with 8 flights of hurdles to be jumped. The race was moved to Cheltenham in 1965 and was sponsored for many years by The Daily Express, from 1997-2002 by The Elite Racing Club and since 2002 by JCB. Obviously there are no multiple winners of the race and the most successful trainer down the years has been Nicky Henderson with 5 winners (most recently with Zaynar in 2009 and Soldatino in 2010).

There are a number of key trials run throughout the months leading up to the festival, including 3 at Cheltenham (giving the young horses a chance to experience the unique contours of the track) but the most defining trial in recent years has been Kempton's Adonis Hurdle, staged towards the end of February, with Penzance, Soldatino and Zarkandar in the last 10 years doing the Adonis-Triumph double.

As is to be expected at this early stage of the season, the market is wide-open although a couple of horses have put down their markers already. Here the odds from Stan James (who have the biggest book at the moment) as of November 3rd (source - Oddschecker):

Royal Irish Hussar 16
Calipto 25
Le Rocher 25
Orgilgo Bay 25
Baradari 25
Chocala 25
33-1 Bar

Royal Irish Hussar is probably the only horse we've see this season who you could imagine making a Triumph horse - Nicky Henderson's bay colt was formerly with Aiden O'Brien on the flat but has now moved to the Triermore stud and is 2 from 2 over hurdles, the second victory at Wetherby last Friday being particularly impressive, he treated a decent looking field with contempt and won 14 lengths from a very highly regarded inmate from Charlie Longsdon's yard. One of the biggest talking horses for this event has been Alan King's Duroble Man, owned like so many of his good horses by the McNeill family (Grumeti, Smad Place, Walkon etc). Rumoured to be the yard's Triumph horse before he'd even seen the racecourse, a disappointing spin on the flat was followed by a 22 length walloping behind Royal Irish Hussar at Market Rasen, where his jumoing was poor. Duroble Man made amends on his next start when winning at Kempton from Town Mouse but current quotes of 50/1 probably reflect his chance for the big one.

Unless you have any inside info from one of the top yards it really is worth waiting until after the Adonis to form your opinion on the race and it is probably worth waiting for the day of the race to strike a bet - it is very difficult to catch a good early price in this market as many horses are kept under wraps until closer to the festival. We probably haven't even heard of the winner yet, never mind seen him on a racecourse.
 
You probably have seen the winner as one of the best pointers to the winner is an early season win at Market Rasen. A trend franked by Upgrade, Katchit and Countrywide Flame!
Amazing I know but Rab C Nesitt doesn't know everything!
 
I will be shocked if Royal Irish Hussar is good enough to win the Triumph. The Irish have a good bunch this year and there are so many French imports still to run.
 
beefy, my point is that you cannot discount early season form. just because a horse wins at Market Rasen in the Autumn it doesn't mean its a bad thing and the form should not be crabbed. Fridays race was the hottest juvenile run so far this season and ROYAL IRISH HUSSAR demolished them!
 
I'm not disagreeing at all Stick I'm merely suggesting it's very early days. On form at the moment you're fella looks the one to beat, absolutely no doubt about that that. But there's a LOT of horses still to come out. A LOT of bridges to cross before now and mid March.

Have you backed him ante-post for it Stick?
 
I'm not generally in favour of ever expanding the festival with extra races and extra days etc but one positive thing I'll say about it is this. Since the introduction of the Fred Winter, the Triumph is so no longer the lottery it was with long shots galore mopping up every year. The Fred Winter has obviously 'cleared out' so many also rans punters generally have a decent chance in the Triumph with fancied horses usually coming to the fore, with Countrywide Flame being an obvious exception! FFS even I managed to back the winner last year and in 2011 <doh><laugh>
 
Better off waiting until the Adonis is out of the way and then just assess where you think they all slot in.

Antepost wise you might take a gamble on something entered in the Adonis before it runs, because if it does well its price contracts. Other than that, it is a tricky antepost market is the Triumph.
 
What ever happened to the Victor Ludorum hurdle...used to be a great guide.

I'm not remotely interested in RIH but the Triumph is much more winable than before with it and the Fred Winter cannibalising each other..I wouldn't let his time of debut put you off if you are on board...don't forget this years 2000 guineas winner debuted on the 25th of March as a 2-y-o over 5f..who would have thought that a few years ago.
 
What ever happened to the Victor Ludorum hurdle...used to be a great guide.

I'm not remotely interested in RIH but the Triumph is much more winable than before with it and the Fred Winter cannibalising each other..I wouldn't let his time of debut put you off if you are on board...don't forget this years 2000 guineas winner debuted on the 25th of March as a 2-y-o over 5f..who would have thought that a few years ago.
 
What ever happened to the Victor Ludorum hurdle...used to be a great guide.

I'm not remotely interested in RIH but the Triumph is much more winable than before with it and the Fred Winter cannibalising each other..I wouldn't let his time of debut put you off if you are on board...don't forget this years 2000 guineas winner debuted on the 25th of March as a 2-y-o over 5f..who would have thought that a few years ago.
 
We might have our Triumph Hurdle dark horse here - although come his debut for Mullins it will be the worst kept secret in Ireland <laugh>
 
Old boy Alan King seems very, very sweet on his 3YO CHOCALA. He&#8217;s been a dual winner on the level this summer for the Wiltshire handler and now has a perch in that sphere of 86. Likely to commence his hurdling career at Newbury&#8217;s Hennesy meeting and must be a contender for top 4YO / novice hurdles later in the campaign.

However, I&#8217;d steer clear of him in the Triumph market, people, as (i) Alan King has indicated that the son of Rock of Gibraltar, who has won over 16 Furlongs on the flat, is likely to need a trip over hurdles, and (ii) his best form of the level was displayed on soft or heavy ground.
 
16th November update - Royal Irish Hussar today won the Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial at the open meeting and is as low as 8/1 fav with some firms. Always at the head of affairs, he had too much ammunition for Guitar Pete, who looked a real threat coming off the final bend but couldn't live with Nicky Henderson's charge, who pulled out more after the last and won going away. The son of Galileo already looks like being a major player come March but obviously there are any number of juveniles out there that we haven't even seen yet.

Thomas Hobson 2nd fav at 16/1 <laugh> <ok>
 
Update: Thomas Hobson has been roughed off for the season by Mullins and won't be contesting the Triumph Hurdle. Lydia Hislop's column here has the following:

"Stable companion Thomas Hobson, a progressive handicapper on the Flat for John Gosden and who last week was still joint or second favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, is yet to be entered in a race. A phone-call to Mullins revealed the reason why: the horse is roughed off in a field and it was never the intention to race him over hurdles this season after such a tough Flat campaign. Nap: I wouldn't take the 16/1."
 
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