JCB Triumph Hurdle Tips 2021 – Preview, Odds, Recent Winners and Trends

The Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle, run over 2 miles 1 furlong on the New Course at Cheltenham, is the main championship for juvenile, or 4-year-old hurdlers at the Cheltenham Festival.

As such, it is a difficult race to assess and not made any easier by the fact that leading trainers are often mob-handed. At the time of writing, Willie Mullins has eight entries, Gordon Elliott has five and Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson have three apiece.

JCB Triumph Hurdle Odds 2021

JCB Triumph Hurdle Preview

• Zanahiyr
• French Aseel
• Adagio
• Heross Du Seuil
• Tritonic

Zanahiyr

The pick of the Elliott-trained quintet is the ante-post favourite, Zanahiyr (11/4), who is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles and took the step up to Grade Two company firmly in his stride when winning easily at Leopardstown on Boxing Day. The Nathaniel gelding looks short enough at his current odds, but sets a decent standard and his trainer has won the JCB Triumph Hurdle twice before.

French Aseel

So, too, has Willie Mullins, who counts second favourite French Aseel (7/1) among his entries this time around. Formerly trained by Ellmarie Holden, the son of French Fifteen was only bought by Joe and Marie Donnelly – owners of dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo – as recently as mid-January and has yet to run for the Closutton handler. However, he was the impressive, 22-length winner of a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas on his sole start for his previous yard, so warrants respect.

Adagio

Course and distance winner Adagio (10/1), trained by David Pipe, is already a Grade One winner, having readily beaten Nassalam (16/1) by 2½ lengths in the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow in January. He has tasted defeat over hurdles just once, when second, beaten 5 lengths, behind Duffle Coat (14/1) in the Grade Two JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial Juvenile Hurdle on the Old Course in November. He appears to have improved, significantly, in the interim but needs to have done so to reverse that form on 5lb worse terms here.

Heross Du Seuil

Nicky Henderson has won the JCB Triumph Hurdle seven times and the once-raced Heross Du Seuil (25/1) is currently the shortest-priced of his three entries. Another recent acquisition by Joe and Marie Donnelly, the Rail Link gelding was a close second, and staying on, when left clear by the final-flight fall of Honneur D’Ajonc (33/1) in an introductory hurdle at Kempton over Christmas. He should improve for that experience, but meets Honneur D’Ajonc, who was travelling the better of the pair, on the same terms, so there may not be much between them.

Tritonic

The Master of Barbury Castle, Alan King, also knows what’s required to win the JCB Triumph Hurdle, having saddled Penzance in 2005 and subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Katchit in 2007. He looks to have another potentially smart recruit in the form of Tritonic (12/1), who was rated 99 on the Flat and justified favouritism on his hurdling debut at Ascot in January. The bare bones of that form do not look anything out of the ordinary, but his Flat racing experience should stand him in good stead for this much sterner test. Having an extra furlong-and-a-half to travel on a testing course probably won’t do him any harm either.

Triumph Hurdle Betting Tips

The form of the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle, won by Adagio, looks rock solid. The son of German Derby winner Wiener Walzer has been ridden with more restraint since beaten by Duffle Coat on his second start and can provide jockey Tom Scudamore, who is 0-12 in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, with a welcome change of fortune.

WIN BET: Adagio – 10/1 with William Hill.

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Triumph Hurdle Trends

Age – Race is for 4yo’s only.

Price – Only 3 of the last 12 favorites have won, 7/12 winners have been in the top 3 in the betting.

Last Run – 8/12 winners won on their last run before the Triumph Hurdle, 12/12 winners had their last run no more than 55 days ago.

5/12 winners ran in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Leopardstown) on their last run, 1 of the 5 won, 3 placed.

2/12 winners ran in the Finesse Juvenile Hurdle (Cheltenham) on their last run, 2 of the 2 won.

2/12 winners ran in the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (Kempton) on their last run, 2 of the 2 won.

Previous Course Form – 2/12 winners had at least 1 previous run at Cheltenham, 2/12 had at least 1 previous win at Cheltenham.

Previous Distance Form – 8/12 winners had at least 2 runs over 15-17 Furlongs, 11/12 winners had at least 1 win over 15-17 furlongs.

Previous Hurdle Form – 9/12 winners had at least 2 previous runs over hurdles, 11/12 winners had at least 1 win over hurdles.

Rating – 8/12 winners were rated 140 or higher (4/12 didn’t have a rating yet).

Graded Wins – 6/12 winners had at least 1 win in a grade 1-3 race.

Season Form – 9/12 winners had at least 2 previous runs that season, 11/12 winners had at least 1 win that season.

Triumph Hurdle Past Winners

Triumph Hurdle Result 2020

1st – Burning Victory (12/1)

2nd – Aspire Tower (5/1)

3rd – Allmankind (7/2)

4th – Navajo Pass (50/1)

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