THE JP McManus owned Defi Du Seuil, a three-year-old French-bred son of Voix Du Nord, has firmly established his claim to be one of the leading fancies for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March after his facile victory in the Grade 1 Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow.

Runner-up on his debut and winner next time out in France earlier this year, the gelding is now unbeaten in his four starts in Britain and he comes from a very typical French jumping family. While doing so, it is interesting that each of the three stakes performers in the first three generations of the family have earned their blacktype outside of France.