Cheltenham Festival: Triumph Hurdle rewind

At the Cheltenham Festival, where skill reigns supreme and triumphs are immortalised in racing folklore, the Triumph Hurdle shines the spotlight on up-and-coming stars in the National Hunt sphere.

The juvenile contest, which is raced over two miles and one furlong, is the most prestigious event in the jumps calendar for this category and has long been a race that has heralded the arrival of a new generation of champions.

Veteran handler Nicky Henderson holds the record for the most Triumph Hurdle wins with seven, and Sir Gino looks nailed on to extend the Seven Barrows’ trainer’s record to eight as he is a general 8/13 in the horse racing odds.

So, as the Jessica Donnelly-owned horse vies to add his name to the Triumph Hurdle’s roll of honour, let’s look at the last five winners of Gold Cup Day’s opening race.

Pentland Hills – 2019

Pentland Hills defied the odds to secure Henderson his seventh Triumph Hurdle success.

Despite being a 20/1 outsider in the horse race tips, the then four-year-old sent shockwaves through the racing world with a stellar performance.

Pentland Hills made a mistake at the first hurdle but raced into contention two out from the finish, and was guided home to a comfortable victory over Coeur Sublime.

Burning Victory – 2020

The following year, Burning Victory ended Willie Mullins’ nearly 20-year wait for a second Triumph Hurdle success.

Burning Victory’s win also came as a surprise to those in Prestbury Park, as the Audrey Turley-owned son of Nathaniel was 12/1 before the off.

Goshen appeared to have the race wrapped up, as he was 10 lengths clear at the last when unseating Jamie Moore, and Burning Victory capitalised on being left in the lead to win by almost three lengths.

Quilixios – 2021

In 2021, Quilixios ended the outsiders’ winning streak — landing the Triumph Hurdle from odds of 2/1 on his first start for his new yard.

The exciting juvenile was in red-hot form for Gordon Elliott but the Irish trainer’s subsequent ban for a leaked picture of him sitting on a dead horse at his yard resulted in Cheveley Park Stud moving their youngster to Henry de Bromhead.

The short-notice transfer didn’t derail Quilixios’ preparation, as he romped to a commanding victory over Adagio.

Vauban – 2022

While Quilixios was short in the market at 2/1, Vauban is the first pre-race favourite on our list to go on and win the Triumph Hurdle.

A Spring Juvenile Hurdle winner in the build-up to Cheltenham, Vauban entered the Triumph Hurdle as the 6/4 market leader.

Vauban left his old rival Fil Dor in his wake once again, beating the Elliott-trained horse by almost three lengths at Prestbury Park.

Lossiemouth – 2023

Lossiemouth made it two wins in a row for her connections in the Triumph Hurdle, while Mullins and his stable jockey Paul Townend also both enjoyed back-to-back victories.

In the famous silks of American businessman Rich Ricci, Lossiemouth bounced back from her disappointing Spring Juvenile Hurdle performance to win the Triumph Hurdle.

Having finished behind stablemate Gala Marceau at Leopardstown, Lossiemouth righted her wrongs with a comfortable victory.