Aside from the general excitement and razzmatazz surrounding Cheltenham and all of the races, there is something extra special about the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
The four-year-old National Hunt babies and the flat-bred horses who are changing career, opening the day of the most coveted National Hunt prize on the planet is quite pertinent.
And some greats to have started their path onto further top-level glory in the Triumph include dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll, Champion Hurdle winner Katchit, and six-time Grade One winner over both hurdles and fences, Defi Du Seuil.
In the past ten years, six of the winners were direct Sadler’s Wells decedents (Pentland Hills in 2019 was actually inbred to Sadler’s Wells 3x3). And five of the last ten were Irish-bred, four were French-born and just one from Britain.
Our appetites are whet, so let’s dig in.
ZANAHIYR (IRE) – Denise Foster
Began life on the flat for Michael Halford and won on his fourth attempt in a 12-furlong maiden last year. Switching spheres and transferring to Gordon Elliott, Zanahiyr is since unbeaten in three starts over hurdles, stepping up in class each time, most recently in the Grade Two Frank Knight Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown at Christmas.
SIRE: Nathaniel – Dual Group One winner of the King George and Eclipse Stakes who stands on the flat for £15,000 and is best known as the sire of Enable. But Nathaniel has been taking humongous strides in the National Hunt realm too. He sired two Cheltenham festival winners last year, Concertista in the Mares’ Hurdle (also placed a close second on Tuesday this week) and Burning Victory who conquered this race in 2020. It is the Sadler’s Wells line that has had so much success in this race appearing again.
FEMALE FAMILY: A brilliant family, Zanahiyr is out of the young, winning Marju mare, Zariyna. And Zariyna is a half-sister to Zarinava who won the Grade Two mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster and placed third in two Grade One Novice Hurdles’ at Leopardstown. Another of her sisters then produced a number of high performing flat horses including four-time South African Group One winner Igugu. And Kempton Grade Two Juvenile Hurdle winner Zubayr also features amongst many other solid flat horses under the third dam.
TRITONIC (GB) – Alan King
A winner of two races in nine starts on the flat at two and three. Has since been gelded and is unbeaten over hurdles in two outings, most recently a Grade Two Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton two weeks ago by ten lengths.
SIRE: Sea The Moon – German Derby winner who stands on the flat in Britain for £22,500. He has had an excellent start at stud siring Royal Ascot Group One winner Alpine Star and from a very small sample size, has also had notable success over obstacles too, particularly Allmankind - Grade One winner over both hurdles and fences and placed fourth behind Shishkin on Tuesday.
FEMALE FAMILY: Tritonic is the second foal out of the unraced Selkirk mare Selenography. She is a half-sister to Bowdler’s Magic who won six races on the flat and three over hurdles from a whopping 95 starts in total. Otherwise, it is a completely South American pedigree with Tritonic’s grandam, her siblings and their progeny, all winning multiple Group Races in Peru, Argentina and Uruguay.
QUILIXIOS (GB) – Henry De Bromhead
Unbeaten in four lifetime starts. Won on debut over hurdles in France before transferring to Gordon Elliott, winning two three-year-old hurdles in October by a combined 33 lengths and most recently winning the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. First start for Henry de Bromhead.
SIRE: Maxios - Dual Group One winner in France at five. Retired to stud in Germany and sired German Oaks winner Diamanta from his second crop. Just last year, Maxios was procured to stand at Coolmore’s National Hunt branch, but his flat-bred crops are clearly still producing the jumping goods, his son Aramax also won the Fred Winter at the festival last year.
FEMALE FAMILY: Quilixios’ dam Quilita is by Lomitas and placed in a Group Three in Germany over 11 furlongs. She is the dam of two other winners on the flat and Quilixios’ grandam is a sister to the extremely tough Quijano who won 14 races including three at the highest level in Germany and Italy.
ADAGIO (GER) – David Pipe
Winner on the flat in France last year and has won three of four starts in Britain since joining David Pipe’s yard. He dominated the Triumph Trial at Cheltenham in December by nearly five lengths and followed up with a win in the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow in January.
SIRE: Wiener Walzer – Winner of the German Derby in 2009 and has only had 105 starters in total, his best performer being a Group Two winner in Italy. He has just had three representatives in the National Hunt realm to date, Adagio of course being the flagbearer of those along with Ad Acta (his full-sister) also winning two races over hurdles in France.
FEMALE FAMILY: Adagio’s winning dam Aspidistra is a half-sister to three stakes winners on the flat in Germany, all by Tiger Hill. But his grandam is actually a full-sister to Arcadio, multiple Group winner and German Derby-placed, and one of the first sons of Monsun to stand in Ireland as a source of National Hunt talent. That he was, siring Grade One winning novice chaser Hardline and last year’s Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Handicap Chase winner, Simply The Betts to mention just two.
HAUT EN COULEURS (FR) – Willie Mullins
Ran just the once, winning on debut over Hurdles in Auteuil. First start for Willie Mullins.
SIRE: Saint Des Saints – Leading National Hunt sire and the second most expensive in France at €15,000. Saint Des Saints was top-class over Hurdles himself and we are most familiar with him as the sire of top chasers Djakadam and Quito De La Roque as well as Saint Calvados and Coral Cup winner Aux Ptits Soins.
FEMALE FAMILY: Haut En Couleurs is from an excellent French National Hunt pedigree. His dam Sanouva is by Muhtathir (sire of Envoi Allen), and won both a Grade Two Chase and Listed race over hurdles. She has bred two winners to date and is a half-sister to the superstar and dual Grade One winning hurdler Hippomene, as well as Listed winning hurdler Nicknos. Their dam Dindounas is also a Graded winner over hurdles and is a sister to the dam of Irish Grade Three chaser Benruben.
TAX FOR MAX (GER) – Willie Mullins
Six flat starts in Germany at two and three, winning on his three-year-old debut and placing fifth in the Group One Grosser Preis Von Bayern. Has had one start for Willie Mullins, placing second in the Grade Three juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse two weeks ago.
SIRE: Maxios - Dual Group One winner in France at five. Retired to stud in Germany and sired German Oaks winner Diamanta from his second crop. Just last year, Maxios was procured to stand at Coolmoore’s National Hunt branch, but his flat-bred crops are clearly still producing the jumping goods, his son Aramax also won the Fred Winter at the festival last year.
FEMALE FAMILY: Tax For Max has a very interesting pedigree. He is out of a four-time winning Starborough mare, Tomato Finish, making him a half-brother to the Willie Mullins trained Tiger Tap Tap (Jukebox Jury), who has won three races and placed fourth in the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2019. Their grandam, who placed in a stakes race in Germany, is a sister to Muse who was a Grade One winner over Hurdles at Cheltenham back in 1993. It is also the family of last year’s multiple Grade Two Novice Chase placed Commanche Red.
TALKING ABOUT YOU (GB) - Sean Curran
Has run 16 times already, both on the flat for Mick Channon and the most recent ten over hurdles for Sean Curran. His best performances were two Listed hurdles wins in December.
SIRE: Sixties Icon – St Leger winner from Galileo’s very first crop. He sired three South American Group One winners on the flat and has had a number of solid performers over jumps including Mares’ Listed Hurdle winner Buildmeupbuttercup.
FEMALE FAMILY: Talking About You is the only foal out of the unraced Mastercraftsman mare Ificaniwill. His grandam never bred a winner but is a half-sister to Irish St Leger winner Septimus. The rest of the black-type form in the family is Turkish and Indian.
HISTORIC HEART (IRE) – Nigel Hawke
Ran once for Jim Bolger and in ten starts for Nigel Hawke has won two Juvenile Hurdle races at Wetherby and Sedgefield. He most recently placed second in the Listed Scottish Triumph Hurdle in February.
SIRE: Fracas – Group winner by In The Wings who placed fourth in the Epsom Derby behind Motivator. From just 41 runners, Fracas has sired Group Three winner Smash Williams, as well as a number of Handicap winners over jumps.
FEMALE FAMILY: Historic Heart is a half-brother to Jim Bolger’s French Group One winning juvenile Loch Gorman. His dam, Irish Question, is a sister to the dam of Group Three winner and Irish 1000 Guineas placed Rehn’s Nest and his grandam is a sister to another Group One winning juvenile, Eva Luna, who won the Phoenix Stakes.
