2021 Triumph Hurdle Tips

The opener on Gold Cup day at the Cheltenham Festival is the Triumph Hurdle. This Grade One hurdle was first staged in 1939, and moved to the Cheltenham Festival in 1965.

The Triumph Hurdle is open only two juveniles, and is run over a two-mile trip.

Many excellent horses have capped their first season over obstacles by winning the Triumph Hurdle. Clair Soleil won the Triumph in 1953, before going on to score in the Champion Hurdle.

Three horses have followed in those footsteps and landed the Triumph, Champion Hurdle double. Persian War won the Triumph in 1967, and went on to claim a hat-trick of wins in Tuesday's Championship race between 1968 and 1970.

Sir Michael Stoute's Kribensis won the 1988 Triumph Hurdle, before going on to score in the Champion Hurdle. The last to achieve this double was Katchit, who won the Triumph in 2007, and the Champion Hurdle the following season.

Many Triumph Hurdle winners go on to achieve great things over fences too. Commanche Court won the Triumph in 1997. He would go on to win the Punchestown Gold Cup and the Irish Grand National, while also finishing second to Best Mate in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Cheltenham legend Tiger Roll won the first of his four Festival titles in the 2014 Triumph Hurdle. Defi Du Seuil won the Triumph in 2017, before winning the Marsh Novices' Chase two years later.

Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer in the history of the Triumph Hurdle. First Bout was Henderson's first Triumph winner in 1985, with the last of his seven wins coming in 2019, as Pentland Hills claimed a shock win.

In 2020, it seemed like Gary Moore was going to celebrate his first Triumph winner as Goshen strode clear. In a shocking turn of events, the leader fell at the final flight, allowing Burning Victory to come through and claim a shock win for Willie Mullins.