Triumph Hurdle

Triumph Hurdle
Grade 1 race
Location Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham, England
Inaugurated 1939
Race type Hurdle race
Sponsor JCB
Website Cheltenham
Race information
Distance 2m 1f (3,420 metres)
Surface Turf
Track Left-handed
Qualification Four-year-olds
Weight 11 st 0 lb
Allowances
7 lb for fillies
Purse £120,000 (2014)
1st: £68,340
Triumph Hurdle
2015
Peace And Co Top Notch Hargam

The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong (3,420 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

It is the leading event in the National Hunt calendar to be exclusively contested by juveniles, and it is the opening race on the final day of the Festival.

History

The event was established in 1939, and it was originally held at Hurst Park in Surrey. During the early part of its history it was regularly contested by horses trained in France – six of the first seven winners were French-based. The flat racing jockey Lester Piggott achieved one of his twenty hurdle victories in this race in 1954.

The Triumph Hurdle was transferred to Cheltenham in 1965, and for a period thereafter it was sponsored by the Daily Express. It was initially held during the venue's April meeting, but it became part of the Festival in 1968. The Elite Racing Club took over the sponsorship in 1997, and JCB became the sponsor in 2002.

Winners of the Triumph Hurdle often go on to compete in subsequent editions of the Champion Hurdle. Four horses have achieved victory in both events – Clair Soleil, Persian War, Kribensis and Katchit.

Records

Leading jockey (3 wins):

Leading trainer (5 wins):

Winners

Year Winner Jockey Trainer
1939 Grey Talk Serge Rochet George Batchelor
no race 1940–49
1950 Abrupto Roger Mantelin E. Diggle
1951 Blue Song II Fernand Thirion Georges Pelat
1952 Hoggar Roger Triboit John Cunnington
1953 Clair Soleil Fred Winter François Mathet
1954 Prince Charlemagne Lester Piggott Tommy Carey
1955 Kwannin Pierre Delfarguiel Alec Head
1956 Square Dance Michael Scudamore Fulke Walwyn
1957 Meritorius Denis Dillon Peter Thrale
1958 Pundit Harry Sprague Staff Ingham
1959 Amazon's Choice Johnny Gilbert Peter Thrale
1960 Turpial Arthur Freeman Peter Cazalet
1961 Cantab Fred Winter Ryan Price
1962 Beaver II Josh Gifford Ryan Price
no race 1963–64
1965 Blarney Beacon Geordie Ramshaw Ron Smyth
1966 Black Ice Bobby Beasley Arthur Thomas
1967 Persian War Jimmy Uttley Brian Swift
1968 England's Glory Jimmy Uttley Staff Ingham
1969 Coral Diver Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell
1970 Varma Brian Barker Mick Masson
1971 Boxer Jimmy Uttley Ron Smyth
1972 Zarib Bill Smith Fred Rimell
1973 Moonlight Bay Johnny Haine Ryan Price
1974 Attivo Robert Hughes Cyril Mitchell
1975 Royal Epic Fred McKenna Vernon Cross
1976 Peterhof Jonjo O'Neill Mick Easterby
1977 Meladon Tommy Carberry Adrian Maxwell
1978 Connaught Ranger John Burke Fred Rimell
1979 Pollardstown Philip Blacker Stan Mellor
1980 Heighlin Steve Jobar David Elsworth
1981 Baron Blakeney Paul Leach Martin Pipe
1982 Shiny Copper Allen Webb Dina Smith
1983 Saxon Farm Mark Perrett Stan Mellor
1984 Northern Game Tommy Ryan Edward O'Grady
1985 First Bout Steve Smith Eccles Nicky Henderson
1986 Solar Cloud Peter Scudamore David Nicholson
1987 Alone Success Steve Smith Eccles Nicky Henderson
1988 Kribensis Richard Dunwoody Michael Stoute
1989 Ikdam Nigel Coleman Richard Holder
1990 Rare Holiday Brendan Sheridan Dermot Weld
1991 Oh So Risky Paul Holley David Elsworth
1992 Duke of Monmouth Mark Richards Simon Sherwood
1993 Shawiya Charlie Swan Michael O'Brien
1994 Mysilv Adrian Maguire David Nicholson
1995 Kissair Jonothan Lower Martin Pipe
1996 Paddy's Return Richard Dunwoody Ferdy Murphy
1997 Commanche Court Norman Williamson Ted Walsh
1998 Upgrade Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies
1999 Katarino Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson
2000 Snow Drop Thierry Doumen François Doumen
no race 2001 [1]
2002 Scolardy Charlie Swan Willie Mullins
2003 Spectroscope Barry Geraghty Jonjo O'Neill
2004 Made in Japan Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2005 Penzance Robert Thornton Alan King
2006 Detroit City Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2007 Katchit Robert Thornton Alan King
2008 Celestial Halo Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2009 Zaynar Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2010 Soldatino Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2011 Zarkandar Daryl Jacob Paul Nicholls
2012 Countrywide Flame Dougie Costello John Quinn
2013 Our Conor Bryan Cooper Dessie Hughes
2014 Tiger Roll Davy Russell Gordon Elliott
2015 Peace And Co Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson

1 The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.

See also

References