Triumph Hurdle

Irish have the upper hand

Friday 1.30pm

JCB Triumph Hurdle

(Grade 1) 2m 179y £125,000

  • • Nicky Henderson has won seven Triumph Hurdles starting with First Bout 1985.
  • • All bar Pentland Hills in 2019 of the last 10 winners, ran at least in one of the Finesse, Spring or Adonis Hurdles.
  • • Five of the last eight winners ran in the Grade 1 Spring Hurdle at Leopardstown. Only Our Conor 2013 won at both Leopardstown and Cheltenham.
  • • Since the Boodles Hurdle (Fred Winter) was introduced, only Pentland Hills and Countrywide Flame 2012 of the last 15 winners have returned an SP bigger than 10/1
  • • Winners Defi De Seuil 2017 and Pentland Hills are the only English trained to gain a place in the last four years. Irish trained have won four of the last seven.
  • • 12 of the last 14 winners had made their hurdling debut by January 10th.
  • • Only Detroit City 2006 and Zaynar 2009 this century won whilst wearing any type of headgear. Both were wearing headgear for the first time over jumps.
  • • Willie Mullins is 0 from 27 since Scolardy in 2002.
  • • Only Ivanovich Gorbatov of the last seven had finished outside the first two in any hurdle run in Britain or Ireland.
  • • 16 of the last 17 winners who raced on the race, had done so over at least a mile and four furlongs
  • • Pentland Hills and Zarkandar 2011 are the only winners this century to have previously raced only once hurdles in Britain or Ireland.

    • County Hurdle

    Skelton is the County champion

    Friday 2.10pm

    Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle

    (Grade 3) 2m 179y £100,000

  • • No horse in the last 26 years has won this when making its handicap debut.
  • • Only Ch’tibello 2019 and Arctic Fire 2017 of the last 17 winners were not either novices or second season hurdlers.
  • • Dan Skelton has trained three of the last four winners. Irish trained horses have won six of the last 10, Willie Mullins four.
  • • The last six winners had been beaten at Cheltenham in a hurdle.
  • • This century Arctic Fire has been the only winner to have finished in the first five of any previous Festival race.
  • • 14 of the last 15 winners had been racing that season before the end of October. The last four winners are the only ones this century that hadn’t raced since the turn of the year.
  • • Only two of the last 13 winners had won their previous race.
  • • Lac Fontana 2014 is the only course winner to win since Master Tern in 2000. Both were second season novices and both won the two mile handicap hurdle ran on Cheltenham Trials Day in January.
  • • This century only Bridget Andrews 2018 and Katie Walsh 2010 have won this as conditional jockeys. Both were claiming 3lb.
  • • Sporazene 2004 is the last clear favourite to win.
  • • Ten of the last 12 winners were BHA rated between 132 to 139. The exceptions are Ch’tibello 146 and Arctic Fire rated 158.

    • Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle

    Avoid the favourites

    Friday 2.50pm

    Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

    (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y £125,000

    Upgraded to Grade 1 in 2008

  • • Since upgraded to Grade 1 there have been six British-trained winners and six Irish-trained winners.
  • • Three of the Irish trained winners ran in the three miles graded Novice Hurdle at Limerick run over Christmas and won this season by Fury Road.
  • • All the British-trained winners had already won a Grade 2 hurdle over at least two miles and four furlongs, five of them at Cheltenham.
  • • Six of the last seven winners started their hurdle careers over a distance not more than two miles and a furlong.
  • • None of the past 12 winners had previously contested a graded bumper.
  • • The last six winners were all returned at prices over 10/1.
  • • Eight of the last 11 winners had already a BHA rating of 140+.
  • • 11 of the 15 winners had begun their hurdle season by the October 31st.
  • • 12 of the last 14 were six or seven years of age.
  • • 10 of the last 12 had already won over at least 2m 5f.
  • • None of the last 11 winners were French-bred.
  • • Penhill 2017 has been Willie Mullins’ only winner from 35 triers. 12 of those beaten were returned 10/1 and under.
  • • Only one winner in the last 10 wore any sort of headgear.

    • Gold Cup

    Seven to nine will throw up a winner

    Friday 3.30pm

    Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup

    (Grade 1) 3m 2f 70y £625,000

    Stats for this century

    1No horse has won this having been a beaten favourite last time out.

    2Native River in 2018 is the only winner to have been beaten in his first Gold Cup.

    3No horse has won this having previously raced that season on officially heavy ground.

    4All winners were already Grade 1 chase race winners.

    5No horse has won this aged 10 years or over, including four favourites of that age. All winners bar Long Run in 2011 were aged in the seven to nine years age bracket.

    6Only Native River in 2018 won this while wearing any type of headgear.

    7Only Synchronised 2012 and Native River had previously raced over further than the Gold Cup distance. Both had won the Welsh National.

    8Only Kauto Star 2009 and Don Cossack 2016 won this having raced more than 12 times over fences.

    9Only Lord Windermere 2014 and Imperial Commander 2010 did not finish first or second in their previous run.

    10 Only Lord Windermere has been returned at a price bigger than 12/1.

  • • Synchronised 2012 and Best Mate 2004 are the last two horses to complete the Savills Chase/Gold Cup double in the same season the Savills was won this season by Delta Work.
  • • The King George/Gold Cup double was last achieved by Long Run in 2011.
  • • Al Boum Photo 2019 became the first Gold Cup winner for Willie Mullins. From a total of 26 runners he has also trained six runners-up.
  • • Coneygree 2015 was the first novice chaser to win since Captain Christy 1974. And also the only winner since Imperial Call 1996 not to have run at a previous Festival.

    • Foxhunters

    Hazel bids for

    two in a row

    Friday 4.10pm

    St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase

    3m 2f 70y £45,000

  • • Irish-trained have won six of the last nine but none of the last three.
  • • The last 13 first-time winners had not previously run over as far as Foxhunters distance.
  • • Seven winners this century had won or been placed before in the race.
  • • There have been three double winners in the last eight years.
  • • The last five winners have been aged either 10 or 11 years. However, there has been no winner aged older than 11 years since Earthmover in 2004.
  • • This century only Hazel Hill 2019 and Drombeag 2007 have won after a racing break of more of 41 days.
  • • Nine winners this century had contested at the Festival before and all of them had previously run in the Foxhunters.
  • • Nine of the last 10 winners had a BHA rating of 134 or higher.
  • • Jamie Codd and Patrick Mullins have yet to win this.
  • • Paul Nicholls has trained the winner on four occasions, Enda Bolger three.

    • GRAND ANNUAL

    Outsiders with form

    Friday 4.50pm

    Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase

    (Grade 3) 2m 62y £110,000

  • • The last nine winners all had a BHA rating of at least 138. The last six winners all carried at least 10st 12lb to victory.
  • • 12 winners this century were winning their first handicap chase.
  • • None of the last 15 winners had won a handicap chase that season.
  • • This century only Croco Bay 2019 and Tiger Cry 2008 are the only winners to be aged older than nine years.
  • • Paul Nicholls has trained four winners. Irish-trained have won three of the last seven.
  • • Since the race was named after his father in 2005, Nicky Henderson has won twice and had four runners-up. His last winner was Bellvano 2012.
  • • This century Mr Steven Clements on Oiseau De Nuit 2011 has been the only conditional jockey to win.
  • • Thus century only Croco Bay and Oiseau De Nuit 2011 are the only winners to have had more than 12 previous runs over fences.
  • • 14 winners this century had run at a previous Festival.
  • • No horse has won this twice since 1976.
  • • Alderwood 2013 and St Pirran 2004 are the only favourites to win this century. Seven of the last 10 winners were returned with an SP of 16/1 or bigger.

    • MARTIN PIPE HURDLE

    Get with the Gigginstown gang

    Friday 5.30pm

    Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

    (0-145) 2m 4f 56y £70,000

  • • Eight winners had won a NH race where there were at least 11 runners.
  • • Gigginstown have run a total of 11 horses in this with four winners. In 2019 their two runners finished second and third.
  • • Gordon Elliott, Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls have trained seven of the 11 winners. Between them they have also achieved places with nine other runners.
  • • The Grade 3 two mile, four furlongs novice hurdle in Thurles in late February supplied the last two winners trained by Gordon Elliott.
  • • All the five British-trained winners had run in at least three handicaps. Only Early Doors 2019 of the six Irish-trained winners had previously run in a handicap. Early Doors had previously finished third in this race.
  • • Blow By Blow 2018 and Ibis De Rheu 2016 both won this wearing headgear.
  • • No winning favourite since Sir Des Champs in 2011
  • • Ten of the 11 winners ran within the last 52 days.
  • • Blow By Blow 2018 was the only winner not aged either five or six years of age.
  • • Six were second season hurdlers, three more novices.
  • • Ten of the 11 winners had run no more than eight times over hurdles.
  • • Nine of the 11 winners had run in a graded hurdle.