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!

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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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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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.”

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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Henderson trains Super Kenny

Looking at the four year-olds we have seen to date it is fair to say SUPER KENNY would not need to be the best Triumph winner ever. He has not yet made his debut, but will need to do so very soon if he is to go to the Cheltenham Festival and the Triumph Hurdle. The word though is that this is the one from Seven Barrows for the Triumph Hurdle.

Stan James go 16/1 from 25’s before he has ever run over hurdles, but reports are that this is one to be on. We will see! You can get a £25 Free Bet from Stan James for the Triumph Hurdle.

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The four-year-old, who moved from Michael Bell’s stable on the Flat to join champion jumps trainer Paul Nicholls, is around 16-1 for the juvenile crown.

“It was a real thrill to kick off in the jumping game for the Club with a horse as exciting as this one,” said racing manager Harry Herbert. We were going to have at least one as a jumper and this horse was in training with Michael Bell and was the obvious one rather than buy one at the sales. We had one under our noses who would have improved a bit and still won nice handicaps on the Flat, but also with the thought you can hope he might be a classy hurdling type. He’s quite a big animal who is only now starting to fill to his frame. He’s a different shape to the horse who was running last year. There was a huge difference between the horse that won at Newbury in the unsaddling enclosure to the one we saw on Saturday. There was a huge improvement and that is what Paul had said, judged on his homework and the way he was schooling. The horse is really enthusiastic and enjoying his hurdling. Paul thinks he will improve significantly with his races and also a field that goes a bit quicker would be to his advantage. That does point encouragingly to a crack at the Triumph and hopefully having a fun day out for the members. He’s going straight there. He’s very good over his hurdles and schools well. We have had some tremendous success over the years with Motivator in the Derby and a winner at Royal Ascot. So to have a winner at the Festival would be phenomenal.”

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David Pipe got hold of the four-year-old after an easy win in an Auteuil claimer but he looked to have plenty on his plate with a couple of hurdles to jump as 4-11 favourite Ranjobaie and Tony McCoy appeared to be travelling better.
Plumpton winner Notus De La Tour earned a quote of 33/1 with Stan James for the Triumph Hurdle after his facile success at Plumpton on his British debut.

Head of PR Charlie McCann: ” The David Pipe trained juvenile could hardly have made a more impressive British debut and, having landed his previous start at Auteuil by 20l, he is clearly going the right way.”

Zaynar beats Walkon in the 2009 Triumph Hurdle

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

10 Mille Chief
10 Pistolet Noir
12 Carlito Brigante
14 Alaivan
16 Royal Mix
20 Westlin Winds
20 Advisor
20 Mirific
25 Stormy Weather
25 Me Voici
25 Barwell Bridge
25 Zaidpour
33 Notus De La Tour (first show)
33 Remember Now
33 Gilded Age
33 American Ladie
33 Sunwise
33 Braveheart Move
33 Olofi
33 Jump City
40 Bar

Carlito Brigante could have his prep for Cheltenham’s JCB Triumph Hurdle at Musselburgh on February 7 as long as the ground is suitable.

Gordon Elliott’s charge is a top-priced 14-1 for the juvenile championship after slamming Alaivan by 11 lengths at Leopardstown on Boxing Day on his first start for the County Meath trainer.

“He’s come out of the race very well and we were delighted with him,” said Elliott.

“He may go for the race at Musselburgh in February if the ground is good. He has to have good ground, then hopefully it will be Cheltenham after that.

“He’s a nice horse, the ground is the key to him and he’s improving all the time. He’s a horse to look forward to.”

Tom George’s grey had acquitted himself well when third in a Grade Two hurdle at the Open fixture and in scoring by two and three-quarter lengths under Paddy Brennan demonstrated his liking for a battle. There were still four in with a shout at the last, including the 2-1 favourite Ultimate, but it was Olofi who found the greatest resolve.

George, on hand to greet the 100-30 winner with father-in-law John Edwards, said:

“We’ve had him since he was a yearling and he was jumping at two. He’s a young and improving horse that will keep improving, and although he has a good Flat pedigree this was always going to be his game. In his work he’s got better with every bit he’s done.”