TRIUMPH HURDLE - Leopardstown a Springboard to Triumph

Friday 1.30pm

JCB Triumph Hurdle

(Grade 1) 2m 179y £125,000

  • Nicky Henderson has won six Triumph Hurdles starting with First Bout (1985).
  • The last nine winners ran in one of the Finesse, Spring or Adonis Hurdles.
  • Five of the last seven winners ran in the Grade 1 Spring Hurdle at Leopardstown. Only Our Conor (2013) won at both Leopardstown and Cheltenham.
  • Three of the last four favourites have won. Only one of the last 14 winners was returned at bigger than 10/1.
  • Irish-trained horses have won four of the last six. Only Defi De Seuil 2017 has gained a place for British-trained horses in any of the last three renewals.
  • Twelve of the last 13 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.
  • Zarkandar (2011) is the only winner this century to have only raced once over hurdles in Britain or Ireland.

    • County handicap hurdle Irish have odds in their favour

    Friday 2.10pm

    Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle

    (Grade 3) 2m 179y £100,000

  • No horse in the last 25 years has won this when making its handicap debut.
  • Twelve of the last 15 winners were aged five or six years.
  • Fifteen of the last 16 winners were either novices or second season hurdlers.
  • Irish-trained horses have won six of the last nine, Willie Mullins with four.
  • The last five winners had been beaten at Cheltenham previously in a hurdle race.
  • Thirteen of the last 14 winners had been racing this season before the end of October.
  • Only two of the last 12 winners had won their previous race.
  • Since 1991 only two previous course winners have won. Both were second season hurdlers.
  • Ten of the last 11 winners were BHA rated between 132 to 139. The only exception was Arctic Fire in 2017 who was rated 158.

    • Novices’ Hurdle Outsiders have the edge

    Friday 2.50pm

    Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

    (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y £125,000

  • The last six winners all started their hurdle careers over a distance not more than two miles, one furlong.
  • Seven of the 14 winners had already won a Grade 2 hurdle at Cheltenham.
  • The last five winners were all returned at prices over 10/1.
  • Eight of the last nine winners had already a BHA rating of 140+.
  • Ten of the 14 winners had begun their hurdle season by October 31st.
  • No horse has won this having had less than three runs over hurdles.
  • Twelve of the last 13 were six or seven years of age.
  • Seven of the last 11 winners had already won one of the three Grade 2 trials run at Cheltenham that season.
  • Ten of the last 11 had all already won over at least 2m 5f.
  • None of the last 10 winners was French-bred.
  • Only one winner in the last 10 wore any sort of headgear.

    • Gold Cup Gold winner must be top grade

    Friday 3.30pm

    Cheltenham Gold Cup

    (Grade 1) 3m 2f 70y £625,000

    Stats for this century

  • No horse has won this century having been a beaten favourite last time out.
  • Only Native River (2018) has won this for the first time, having been beaten in it on his first appearance.
  • All winners were already Grade 1 chase winners.
  • No horse has won this aged 10 years or over, including four favourites of that age.
  • Only Native River (2018) won this whilst wearing any type of headgear.
  • Only Lord Windermere (2014) has been returned at a price bigger than 8/1.
  • Synchronised (2012) and Best Mate (2004) are the last two horses to complete the Savills Chase/Gold Cup double in the same season.
  • The King George/Gold Cup double was last achieved by Long Run in 2011.
  • No trainer has ever won the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother and Gold Cup in the same year.
  • Willie Mullins has never won the Gold Cup. From a total of 22 runners he has trained six runners-up.
  • Coneygree (2015) was the first novice chaser to win since Captain Christy (1974)
  • Coneygree was the only winner not to have run at a previous Festival since Imperial Call (1996)

    • Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Elliott out for three in a row

    Friday 5.30pm

    Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

    (0-145) 2m 4f 56y £70,000

  • All 10 winners had won a NH race where there were at least 11 runners.
  • Gigginstown House have ran a total of nine horses in this with four winners.
  • Gordon Elliott, Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls have trained seven of the 10 winners. Between them they have also achieved places with seven other runners.
  • All the five British-trained winners had run in at least three handicaps. None of the five Irish-trained winners had previously run in a handicap.
  • Apart from Big Eared Fran’s third place in 2009, David Pipe has since yet to gain another place.
  • Blow By Blow (2018) and Ibis De Rheu (2016) both won this wearing headgear.
  • No favourite has won since Sir Des Champs in 2011.
  • All 10 winners ran within the last 52 days.
  • Blow By Blow (2018) was the only winner not aged either five or six years of age.
  • Seven were second season hurdlers, the other three were novices.
  • Eight of the 10 winners had previously run in a graded hurdle.

    • Foxhunter Chase Irish must Fight off inexperience

    Friday 4.10pm

    St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase

    3m 2f 70y £45,000

  • Irish-trained horses won the six editions between 2011 and 2016 before Pacha Du Polder’s successes in the last two years.
  • The last 12 first-time winners had not previously run over the Foxhunters distance.
  • Seven winners this century had won or been placed before in the race.
  • No horse has ever won this race three times. There have been three double winners in the last seven years.
  • There has been no winner aged older than 11 years since Earthmover in 2004.
  • Only Drombeag (2007) this century won after a break of more of 41 days.
  • Nine winners this century had run at the Festival before and all of them had previously ran in the Foxhunters.
  • Pacha Du Polder is the only winner in the last 13 to have had a BHA rating over 140 at their peak.
  • The last four winners were all in at least their fifth season jumping fences under rules.

    • Grand Annual Handicap Chase follow Nicky and Nicholls

    Friday 4.50pm

    Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase

    (Grade 3) 2m 62y £110,000

  • The last six winners all had a BHA rating of at least 140. The last five winners all carried at least 11st to victory.
  • Twelve winners this century were winning their first handicap chase.
  • None of the last 14 winners had won a handicap chase that season.
  • None of the last 10 winners were aged older than nine years of age.
  • Paul Nicholls has trained four winners in the last 15. Since named after his father in 2005, Nicky Henderson has won twice and had four runners-up
  • This century Steven Clements on Oiseau De Nuit (2011) has been the only conditional jockey to win.
  • This century Oiseau De Nuit has been the only winner to have more than 12 previous runs over fences.
  • Fourteen winners this century had run at a previous Festival.
  • Alderwood (2013) and St Pirran (2004) are the only favourites to win this century. Only two of the last nine winners were priced in the first five in the market.