For today only StanJames.com are offering four places on their Triumph Hurdle market. That means if you place an each-way bet on the Triumph Hurdle today with StanJames.com you will be paid out if your horse finishes in the first four in the race, rather than the usual first three.

The Triumph Hurdle looks looks wide open this year, with our favourite Grandouet heading the market at 5/1, so we feel there is plenty of scope for punters to find an attractive each-way bet at a fancy price. That’s why we’re offering for today only the chance to be paid out on four places in the race.

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JCB Triumph Hurdle – Outright Ante Post prices from StanJames.com, (place terms: 1/4 the first 4)

5 Grandouet
6 Unaccompanied
12 A Media Luz
12 Sam Winner
12 Smad Place
14 Marsh Warbler
16 Brampour
16 Local Hero
20 Sailors Warn
25 Kumbeshwar
25 Third Intention
25 Toner D’Oudairi’
25 Tonic Mellysse
25 Houblon Des Obe’
28 Kazzene

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

Victor Chandler kept Finian’s Rainbow unchanged at 4/1 for the Arkle after his unsatisfactory success at Warwick.

Stan James have left Finian’s Rainbow unchanged as 7-2 favourite for the Irish Independent Arkle Novices’ Chase following his wide margin success in the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase.

Nicky Henderson’s gelding extended his unbeaten run over fences to three but was still being hounded by Kilmurry when that rival went wrong two fences out.
“Finian’s Rainbow did what he had to do in order to remain at the head of the Arkle market, but his jumping was not much more than adequate and in the end he gained a bloodless success. We saw nothing in the performance to justify a price cut for Cheltenham.”

Victor Chandler cut Oscars Well from 20s to 8/1 for the Neptune and from 14s to 10s for the Albert Bartlett after his cosy Leopardstown win earlier today.
Even money favourite Zaidpour is out to 12s for the Neptune from 9/1 and 10/1 from 7s for the Supreme.

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

Nicky Henderson’s French import was beaten on his first two starts in the UK but has now landed back to back wins and is favourite for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and his jockey believes the youngster is improving all the time.

“He was very good and settled beautifully having been keen in the past,” Geraghty told At The Races. “He jumped very professionally and won as easily as you’d ever see one win. “He’s definitely going the right way and I think he’s improved since he was second to Sam Winner in Cheltenham. “He has plenty of pace and would go on any ground. He’s very versatile.”

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

Head of PR Charlie McCann: ” Whilst his hurdling may not have been as fluent as Cue Card’s last Saturday we think Zaidpour is a real threat to last season’s Champion Bumper winner and Cue Card v Zaidpour would get the Festival off to a wonderful start.”

Supreme Novices Hurdle ~ Outright Ante Post, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3)
11-4 Cue Card (from 5/2)
9-2 Zaidpour (from 11s)
12 Kid Cassidy
12 Toubab
16 Megastar
20 Hidden Universe
20 Bobs Worth
20 Prince Of Pirates
20 Dare Me
25 Bar

Neptune Novices Hurdle ~ Outright Ante Post, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3)
6 Zaidpour (from 10s)
10 Al Ferof
14 Kid Cassidy
16 Bishopsfurze
16 Dare Me
16 Megastar
16 Bobs Worth
16 Last Instalment
16 Hidden Universe
20 Bar

Hurricane Fly is the 7/2 joint favourite (from 7/1) for the Stan James Champion Hurdle after his impressive success in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse today.

StanJames Champion Hurdle ~ Outright Ante Post – Binocular Giveaway, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3)
7-2 Hurricane Fly (from 7/1)
7-2 Menorah
5 Binocular (from 9/2)
6 Peddlers Cross
16 Bar

Hurricane Fly made a tremendous reappearance to deny his old rival Solwhit again in a thrilling finish to the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The talented duo were locked in battle from the final flight but just as at Punchestown in April, Hurricane Fly (11-4) came out on top – but only after a hard-fought tussle.

He was completing a quick double on the card for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend after their success in the previous race with the smart Zaidpour.

Aitmatov made the running, with the two principals tucked away in midfield, until last year’s winner Oscar Dan Dan took it up briefly.

Solwhit then made his bid two out but he was soon joined by Hurricane Fly and the pair treated racegoers to a battle royal with the latter getting home by a length and a half. Voler La Vedette was third.

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

Three new Cheltenham races have been added, at The Open on Saturday, November 13, The International on Saturday, December 11, and Festival Trials Day on Saturday, January 29.

All three races will be called The JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial, with the races in November and January holding Grade Two status. The two-year deal runs until The Festival in 2012, at which JCB will be sponsoring The JCB Triumph Hurdle for the 11th time, having begun its backing of the race in 2002.

Matt McClurg, GM Brand & Marketing at JCB, said: “We are delighted to continue our support of the Cheltenham Festival and the extension of our sponsorship with the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trials builds on our successful partnership with Cheltenham over recent years.”

Peter McNeile, Director of Sponsorship at Cheltenham, added: “We are extremely pleased that JCB is extending its sponsorship at Cheltenham. It makes enormous sense for both racecourse and sponsor to link such a famous brand to a related series of top class events, leading to The Festival, which is always the pinnacle of the Jump racing season.

“The company has been a terrific partner over the last ten years, and I’m sure that the JCB brand will gain even greater exposure this season, given the number and the profile of races under its banner.”

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

Last year Zaynar won the Triumph Hurdle and finished third in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday. Is there anything of the quality of Zaynar here, well maybe.

Certainly there have been a few performances of note this season and I think that Super Kenny who won on Monday would have had a good chance had he gone for the Triumph Hurdle.

The Irish are flying at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival, they have a great chance with Carlito Brigante but I think this will be one that stays at home with it being fought out between Henderson and Nicholls.I was very taken with both Advisor and particularly Soldatino. Nicky Henderson is the best trainer of hurdlers in my view and I think yet another French import, Soldatino can win the Triumph Hurdle.

After his last win Nicky Henderson was quoted as saying;

“He’s only been with me for five weeks and I haven’t really galloped him. We were going on what we were told which was that he could be a bit wild so we decided to leave in the earplugs which were used on him in France.

If he comes on for that he will win and win well. Soldatino is my Triumph Hurdle bet and one I am heavily on.

Good Luck!

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

The French import has endured an interrupted season but was ante-post favourite with many bookmakers before news of his lameness emerged. King had hoped there was a small chance he could still make the Festival, but he told his website, www.alankingracing.co.uk:

“Mille Chief is getting better and we can see improvement, but we have basically run out of time to make the Triumph. You can’t go half-cocked to Cheltenham – even 90% is not good enough. But I remain very hopeful that we will be able to get him ready in time for Aintree and Punchestown. Mille Chief is a very good horse and I still have a lot of faith in him and I am not prepared to take any risks and feel it best we make an early decision so as to keep the betting public fully informed. He’ll miss Cheltenham and we’ll monitor the situation, but I’d be optimistic we’ll make Liverpool.”

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Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Festival Hopes Revealed

RSA Chase:

Nicky Henderson already believes Punchestowns and Long Run are the best two chasers he has ever trained. The pair are set for a fascinating clash in the RSA Chase for the man who has more Cheltenham Festival winners to his name than any other current trainer with a license.

“They are the two horses we are lucky enough to have who could go all the way,” he said. They have got two years to go but they are as good as we’ve had for a very long time. They’re as good chasers as I’ve ever had. My duty is to keep them in one piece for two years. We all need stars to come through and we all want them in our yard.”

Punchestowns and Long Run are both unbeaten in two runs over British fences but have rather different backgrounds. Long Run was a Grade One-winning hurdler at three and made an incredible debut in this country in the Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton before following up over two miles at Warwick. Punchestowns did start off in Flat races in France but made a quicker transfer and was second to Big Buck’s in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle. His outings over fences have been in smaller events at Newbury and Sandown.

“Punchestowns stays three miles but is very good at two and a half – he’s not a slow horse,” said Henderson. I’d actually love to take Big Buck’s on again one day and come from behind him. But that would only happen if his chasing career falls apart. He will probably go to Newbury on Sunday for a wander. Long Run won’t – he will have a schooling session with Yogi Breisner on Tuesday and we have to be careful he’s not too fresh. Long Run is just very talented. There are not many who can go a genuine two-mile pace and can also stay three-miles at Kempton. It’s quite freakish really. We ran him over two at Warwick really for his future – if every race is to be over three miles, then his will be a shorter life.”

With Barry Geraghty set to ride Punchestowns, there is a ride to spare on the third string Burton Port, and the trainer was keen not to rule out the Reynoldstown winner.

“His owner Trevor Hemmings wants to run.” he said. He has nowhere else to go and he deserves to be there – in another year he would be our main runner. We’re not sure about jockeys – Andrew Tinkler gets on very well with him and AP McCoy can ride whoever.”

Punchestowns (right) RSA Chase Favourite

Triumph Hurdle:

A winning British debut at Kempton on Saturday by Soldatino has left the French recruit as Nicky Henderson‘s chief hope of retaining the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Zaynar’s victory 12 months ago was the fourth time Nicky Henderson had lifted the four-year-old highlight but several failures had left him searching for a suitable candidate for 2010. Step forward Soldatino, who took the Grade Two Adonis at Kempton last weekend by seven lengths.

“It was starting to look like there wouldn’t be one,” admitted Henderson. We did one piece of work with Soldatino and he hung all over the place. We were told he had to wear a hood, earplugs and a special bit when he came over so we were experimenting at Kempton. I hadn’t even galloped him. He did wear earplugs in the race – he’ll wear them again – but he was very sensible and relaxed and had his blows. He will come on an awful lot for it and I think you have got to be tempted to go to Cheltenham. It’s a big ask but it looks a pretty weak year. I thought that before Christmas when I said I would be amazed if we had seen the Triumph Hurdle winner by then.”

Nicky Henderson has written off the chances of According making the Triumph Hurdle has not yet unleashed Super Kenny. He said:

“Super Kenny is going to go to Newbury on Saturday but I am sure he wants good ground.”

Mille Chief has made a slight improvement from the setback that prevented him from running at Kempton this weekend but Alan King still believes he faces a race against time for the Triumph Hurdle.

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Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

The former David Wachman inmate has won three of his four starts over obstacles, including an impressive success over another leading Triumph Hurdle hope in Alaivan at Leopardstown. Subsequent success for the latter means he is actually the shorter of the two in ante-post lists, but Elliott is not concerned.

“He’s in very good form at the moment and the plan would be for him to work after racing at either Navan on Saturday or Leopardstown on Sunday,” said Elliott. After that he’ll go straight to Cheltenham for the Triumph Hurdle and we’ll see what happens. Maybe Alaivan is shorter because Edward O’Grady trains him, but I think we beat him fair and square at Leopardstown. We’ve also gone on and won again at Musselburgh since and I think Cheltenham will suit our horse very well. He tough, improving and will love the hill, so I wouldn’t swap him for anything else in the race.”

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary

Having led at the third-last, the 11-10 favourite made a mistake at the final flight, but he still strode away to pass the post with nine lengths to spare over Diktalina. Connections must now decide whether Me Voici is to line up in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham. Owner Jane Williams, the trainer’s wife, said:

“That is tricky, Nick insisted that he should be entered. It is such a hard call – I bought him as a yearling in France to be a Gold Cup horse. If it was up to me, I would call it a day (for this season) now, but if it came up soft (at Cheltenham) you would have to be tempted.”

Alaivan boosted his Triumph Hurdle claims with an effortless success in the Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse. No match for Gordon Elliott’s Carlito Brigante when he was last seen at Leopardstown over Christmas, Edward O’Grady’s four-year-old this time had no trouble in adding to his tally.

Triumph Hurdle 2010 ~ Outright Ante Post, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3)

4 Mille Chief
6 Carlito Brigante
7 Alaivan (from 10s)
7 Secant Star
14 Pittoni
16 Advisor
16 Super Kenny
16 Me Voici

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Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary