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 on the new course 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 6 winners and the most successful jockey Barry Geraghty (5 wins). The 2019 renewal has received 59 initial entries and one trainer seems to hold most of the aces - Joseph O'Brien. His Sir Erec is a general 6/4 shot and he is 2 from 2 over hurdles, winning at Leopardstown over Christmas and then taking the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the beginning of February in very taking fashion from stablemate Gardens of Babylon (like the favourite owned by JP McManus and currently top-priced 16/1 for the Triumph). O'Brien's Fakir D'Oudairies took the Grade 2 Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham in very pleasing fashion (prompting JP McManus to buy him) and is second favourite in most books at between 5/1 and 8/1. Next in the betting are a couple of Paul Nicholls inmates - Pic D'Orhy (brings strong French form to the table but yet to run for Nicholls - possibly his trainer's Adonis horse) and Quel Destin who has won 4 on the trot this winter and shows a verly likeable attitude. The Adonis Hurdle at Kempton on Feb 23rd is likely to tell us how strong a British challenge the O'Brien horses will have. Nicky Henderson (Adjali, Fusil Raffles, Laskadine and Pentland Hills) and Alan King (Cracker Factory, Giving Glances and Praeceps) are both highly respected in the juvenile arena and will likely send their best contenders to the Adonis. With the exception of the favourite this is a wide-open betting heat and it would be no surprise if something were to run away with the Adonis and challenge Sir Erec for favouritism.
Gardens Of Babylon was my dark horse in last years almanac comp. If he wins the Triumph I shall be demanding a recount
Quel Destin's romp in the Victor Ludorum saw his odds contract to a best-priced 12/1 with Ladbrokes for the Triumph (8/1 NRNB). He made most, jumped beautifully and turned the afterburners on up the home straight to quicken away in impressive style. We await the Adonis next Saturday ......................
40 left in the race at the Feb 20th forefeit stage with little change in the market thereafter. The Adonis has attracted 15 entries and the ante post market is wide open just 2 days before the race. Nicky Henderson's Fusil Raffles looks like favourite on sufference at a top-priced 5/1 followed by Tom Symonds Song For Someone at 6/1. Cracker Factory, Giving Glances, Ecco and Petit Palais ar at 8/1 with Protektorat and Red Force One at 9/1. The market currently looks like there isn't a superstar lurking, Nicky Henderson has been unusually downbeat about his juveniles this term and nothing else seems to be attracting significant support. Unlikely that anything will come out of the Adonis to challenge the fav.
ATR - Kempton cut forces Fusil Raffles to miss Cheltenham Festival outing Fusil Raffles will miss the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival due to the cut he sustained when winning at Kempton on Saturday. Nicky Henderson’s French import made a huge impression on his British debut, slamming his rivals by upwards of nine lengths in the Adonis Hurdle. He was swiftly installed as clear second-favourite for the juvenile championship – behind Joseph O’Brien’s red-hot favourite Sir Erec. However, Henderson immediately pointed out the cut his youngster had suffered after he returned to the winner’s enclosure and has now confirmed his charge will not recover in time to run at the showpiece fixture in the Cotswolds next month.
Henderson was talking up Adjali today, stating that the horse has really come to himself again this past fortnight. They were mightily disappointed with him last time (as I was myself) and had more or less ruled him out of the race. Available at 20/1 for the Triumph and tied in close with Quel Destin on earlier form but I can't shake the coincidence that Adjali is suddenly in the reckoning just as Fusil Raffles was ruled out for the same owners. Hard too to shake the memory of that awful run behind not just Fakir D'Oudairies but also his stablemate Fine Brunello, who had looked nothing special earlier. I probably won't bother with a bet now after Torpillo totally bombed behind Quel Destin last time, also finishing behind the two rank outsiders. That didn't leave Quel Destin with much at all to beat and although the Nicholls horse keeps winning I get the impression it's a division lacking depth this season and the form of his races has not been working out well. An uninspiring renewal for me and it makes Fusil Raffles' absence all the more disappointing.
I think the beauty of the Triumph Hurdle is that it contains so much potential. On paper this looks like a possible match between Sir Erec and Quel Destin (assuming Fakir D'Oudairies goes to the Supreme) but if you look down the entries there are some lurkers in there. I also wouldn't rule out Fusil Raffles just yet - Lieutenant Henderson is a master of the "Lazarus effect" (remember Binocular?). A couple of the fillies are of interest - Mullin's French Made with 1 run and 1 win at Clonmel. Also Elliot's Surin was far from disgraced behind Sir Erec at Leopardstown and she could feasibly take another step forward. Pic D'Orhy hasn't yet run for Nicholls but has an official rating of 149 and Pentland Hills absolutely smashed up a decent yardstick at Plumpton the other day (bonus chasing perhaps?). I'm very much looking forward to it (and think Quel Destin will win).
