Triumph Hurdle

Triumph Hurdle

2015
Peace And Co	Top Notch	Hargam

Previous years
2014
Tiger Roll	Kentucky Hyden	Guitar Pete
2013
Our Conor	Far West	Sametegal
2012
Countrywide Flame	Hisaabaat	Grumeti
2011
Zarkandar	Unaccompanied	Grandouet

2010-2001
2010
Soldatino	Barizan	Alaivan
2009
Zaynar	Walkon	Mourad
2008
Celestial Halo	Franchoek	Won In The Dark
2007
Katchit	Liberate	Mobaasher
2006
Detroit City	Fair Along	Blazing Bailey
2005
Penzance	Faasel	Akilak
2004
Made In Japan	Chief Yeoman	Top Strategy
2003
Spectroscope	Well Chief	Golden Cross
2002
Scolardy	Newhall	Diamond Joshua

2000-1991
2000
Snow Drop	Regal Exit	General Cloney
1999
Katarino	Balla Sola	Afarad
1998
Upgrade	City Hall	Nomadic
1997
Commanche Court	Circus Star	Shooting Light
1996
Paddy's Return	Mistinguett	Hatta Breeze
1995
Kissair	Silver Wedge	Anzum
1994
Mysilv	Moorish	Shirley's Delight
1993
Shawiya	Amazon Express	Major Bugler
1992
Duke Of Monmouth	Crowded House	Al Mutahm
1991
Oh So Risky	Chirkpar	Boarding School

1991-1988
1990
Rare Holiday	Ninja	Native Friend
1989
Ikdam	Highland Bud	Don Valentino
1988
Kribensis	Wahiba	Chatam

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):

• Jimmy Uttley – Persian War (1967), England's Glory (1968), Boxer (1971)
• Barry Geraghty – Spectroscope (2003), Zaynar (2009), Soldatino (2010)

Leading trainer (5 wins):

• Nicky Henderson – First Bout (1985), Alone Success (1987), Katarino (1999), Zaynar (2009), Soldatino (2010)

Winners

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

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British National Hunt races

References

• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
  • 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

• bbc.co.uk – Hurst Park in Surrey.
• cheltenham.co.uk – Media information pack (2010).
• pedigreequery.com – Triumph Hurdle – Cheltenham.
• The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. 1993. p. 233. ISBN 1-873626-15-0. 
• Race Recordings