Grade Two Triumph Trial Hurdle Cheltenham Guide 2023

Newmarket-based trainer Jack Jones sends one of his horses to the Triumph Trial at Cheltenham on Saturday in the form of An Bradan Feasa. The three-year-old has shown a bit of promise on his first two starts in his career so far, building on a sixth-place finish on the flat at Navan for Joseph O'Brien by recording a first hurdling victory next time out in the 2m 1f Ballinrobe Maiden later that month.

He claimed success by eight lengths that day and now steps into graded company for his trainer Jones here. There's plenty of room for improvement and he could go well in this race. Thomas Bellamy is booked to ride.

Ben Brookhouse has one in this grade two event over two miles at Cheltenham on Saturday in the shape of I Still Have Faith. The gelding was pretty useful on the flat over the last year and a bit, winning four times at the likes of Newmarket, Doncaster and Nottingham from one mile to one mile and two furlongs. The three-year-old made his hurdling bow at Wetherby last month, winning by just under four lengths to Weigh Anchor when priced as the 4/7 favourite.

He stayed on nicely that day and now enters graded company off the back of it and there should be even more to come from him. Many in this race are in the mix and he should be one of them. Jack Quinlan will do the steering.

Brian Ellison teams up with Nico de Boinville for this Grade Two Triumph Trial Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday with his three-year-old Eagle Prince. The gelding managed just one win in his flat career since debuting in 2022, at Newcastle in April but failed to build on that success with finishes of sixth and below on each of his next five outings. That sparked a switch to hurdles, which brought instant success at Sedgefield last month, where he beat Latin Verse by a neck to win the class four maiden.

This race will be a lot tougher than that one and others probably make more appeal. However, the booking of de Boinville will have punters' interest and he is not dismissed.

Tom Dascombe sends one of his horses to this grade two race over two miles at the famous Cheltenham course on Saturday in the form of Gifted Angel. The three-year-old failed to win on the flat during a course of 13 runs but has been a different beast over the obstacles, scoring three times out of five hurdling runs at Stratford (C4), Cartmel (C4) and most recently claiming success in a C3 Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton towards the back end of last month.

He won by five lengths that day to Captain Marvellous and despite this being much tougher, he could find more to perform in this company and he has to be respected. Gavin Sheehan is booked to ride.

Syd Hosie has two runners in the Grade Two Triumph Trial Hurdle on Cheltenham's Saturday card with Ellerton and Galactic Jack. The latter of those runs for his new trainer here after previously running nine times on the flat for the well-known and experienced trainer Andrew Balding. The three-year-old managed a couple of wins for his previous trainer at Goodwood and Salisbury but finished last of 11 in a Haydock class two handicap before switching to new connections.

He makes his hurdling bow here for Hosie and much like the other runners here, he cannot be dismissed but others make more appeal if we're being honest. Jonathan Burke has been booked to ride.

Newmarket-based trainer James Owen sends one to the Grade Two Triumph Trial Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday in the form of Burdett Road. The three-year-old made a winning start to life over hurdles last time out in a class four Huntingdon Juvenile over 1m 7f, beating Palio by 12 lengths in the hands of Harry Cobden, coasting home with ease. The switch to hurdles came after the gelding won three times on the flat this year, at Lingfield, Newbury and Royal Ascot and he comes here as one of the more-fancied runners following that debut hurdling success.

Cobden again does the steering and he has leading claims.

Simon Pearce sends one runner to this grade two event on Cheltenham's race card on Saturday in the form of Seraphic, who makes his UK hurdling bow. The three-year-old finished last of 11 on his UK debut last month on the flat at Lingfield, after winning a 2m claiming hurdle race at Clarefontaine back in July by a massive margin of 30 lengths. His runs over hurdles in France showed promise which provides hope here that he can give a good account of himself following that disappointing Lingfield display.

This is a tough assignment for his first foray into graded company over hurdles in the UK and he is one to probably dismiss. Brendan Powell has been booked to ride.

Nigel Hawke has one runner in this Triumph Trial over two miles at Cheltenham's November meeting in the form of the current market outsider Parish Star. The three-year-old arrives here on the back of her hurdling debut at Chepstow in the middle of last month, where she didn't show too much by finishing fourth of seven on heavy ground over this trip. She was a fair way behind the leaders when finishing and her flat record of 6688 isn't the greatest either, which provides justification for her price in the market at the time of writing (66/1).

Lorcan Murtagh is booked to ride the filly who would cause a huge shock if she was to claim success here.

Syd Hosie has two in the Grade Two Triumph Trial on Saturday in the form of Galactic Jack and Ellerton. The latter was fairly useful on the flat for Tim Donworth in France, finishing outside the top four just once as well as recording top three finishes at Saint-Cloud, Nancy and Compiegne over trips ranging from 1m to 1m 5f. He will make his UK and hurdling debut for new trainer Hosie here at Cheltenham and has to be considered on that flat form.

This is a tough race to make your debut over hurdles in with it being a grade two and although he may give a good account of himself, others are preferred.

Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm send one runner to the Grade Two Triumph Trial Hurdle at the November Cheltenham meeting on Saturday in the form of the current market favourite Milan Tino. The three-year-old has shown promise on his first two starts over hurdles in France at Auteuil, finishing second to Kingland over 2m 1f in a listed event before recording a third-place finish at the same C&D last month, behind Leon Du Berlais and winner Jigme.

The gelding out of Milan arrives here for his UK debut as one of the leading runners and it would be a surprise if he wasn't able to build on that promising start over in Auteuil. Jonjo O'Neill Jr. will do the steering.

Mrs Jane Williams sends one of her horses to this 2m grade two event at Cheltenham on Saturday in the form of her three-year-old Knight Of Allen. He is the half-brother of Galahad Quest, who won over both hurdles and fences in his career, and is also half-brother to bumper winner Iliade Allen.

He makes his racing debut for Williams here and the connections mean he has potential, but this is a stiff task on debut for the gelding. There are many runners here who aren't completely dismissed, and despite being one of them, it would be somewhat of an upset if he made a winning start to his hurdling career.