Triumph Hurdle Guide 2022

A flat recruit, Pied Piper only showed his best during his time with John Gosden when facing heavy ground.

He continued this trend when moving to hurdles and beating Vauban on deep ground at Punchestown. Sealing victory with a better jump at the last flight.

Last seen making an absolute mockery of a Grade 2 race at Cheltenham. Not coming off the bridle under Davy Russell, the ground officially being good, he broke his curse of only being effective on slow ground.

The form hasn’t worked out great but a course and distance win in the books, he’ll be happy to have seen the rain fall over Prestbury Park this week.

Close linking form with Porticello, Knight Salute has gone on an absolute tear since going over hurdles.

A winner over 7 furlongs on the flat, he failed to win again on the level before going hurdling this season. Winning his first start back in September at Sedgefield. He then backed that up by beating Impulsive One at Kempton before a Grade 2 victory here at Cheltenham.

Narrowly getting the better of Porticello over at Doncaster teed him up for a mighty run to win the Adonis hurdle on his last start.

His form looks decent but he’s only run on good to soft at worst and the Adonis winner has a historic poor record in this race.

Noel Meade’s gelding has close tying form with Fil Dor. A very busy runner on the flat, it took him four attempts to get off the mark in the other code and did so in handicap company off a mark of 59.

A winner in his last start on the flat over a mile and a half at Leopardstown, he went hurdling soon after that and handily won at Punchestown.

Unable to live with Fil Dor in their two clashes in graded races, he did run a valiant 2nd both times.

After a busy summer he’s been given time to freshen up but doesn’t look capable of reversing the form with Fil Dor unless the break since December has really helped.

Dan and Harry Skelton team up with Doctor Parnassus. A maiden on the flat, he ran well enough in defeat a few times, including being beaten by Indefatigable on his last start on the level.

Leaving David O’Meara’s care to join Skelton after remaining a maiden on the level, he won at the first time of asking over hurdles when taking a decent juvenile hurdle at Ascot.

He backed that up when beating his elders in a novice hurdle at Taunton last month. A fine performance saw him win over 2 miles and 3 furlongs with the form working out since.

Untested at this level he has something to find on official figures but form against his elders reads well.

David Pipe’s charge is already a massive price for this. Another runner who started life over in France on the flat, Koi Dodville did manage to win a handicap over there but didn’t amount to anything particularly special.

He was taken jumping over the summer after joining David Pipe and won his first two starts on good ground over hurdles.
His form has seriously petered off since however and he’s been well beaten in his last 4 runs.

He was running over hurdles as an entire but failed to justify favouritism twice before having another spin on the flat in a poor outing.

Gelded off the back of that, he then was last home at a big price in the hurdle race won by Porticello last month.

Bundles to find, it’s hard to see him being competitive.

First in the betting currently for Great Britain, Porticello runs for Gary Moore and has had a terrific first season over hurdles.

Winning a 3 year old hurdle over in France on soft ground saw him come over to England and win a listed race on stable debut at short odds.

Unable to get the better of subsequent Adonis winner Knight Salute at Doncaster in a Grade 2, he’s since bounced back to form with a Grade 1 win at Chepstow. Winning by a wide margin.

Last seen dropping markedly in grade, he obliged at very short odds to an easy 17 length victory.

A smart win in his prep race, he’s a grade 1 winner and handled heavy ground last time out.

A winner over on the flat in France, Teddy Blue showed smart stamina to win over a mile and 6 furlongs to break his maiden at the 4th time of asking.

He’s since moved over to hurdles and joined Gary Moore’s yard but has struggled to land a win in his two starts in his new environment.

Coming second in a novice for 4 year olds on deep ground, he then had only an 11 day break before running in the Adonis to be 2nd to Knight Salute at Kempton.

The Adonis has been a poor trial for this in recent years but he did show marked improvement from his first to second run.
It’s his third run in quick succession and he needs to improve again to get close here.

Representing Willie Mullins, Vauban has only been seen twice over hurdles having come from the flat scene in France.

Decent form on the level saw him win a listed race before making his hurdle debut at Punchestown in late December. Fancied favourite to beat Pied Piper, he found himself out-jumped at the last flight and checked for room on the run in to be 2nd by half a length.

He since took a major step forward to win the grade 1 juvenile hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival beating Fil Dor with ease.

Holds the best form in the field.

The current outsider of the bunch.

One spin on the flat in France saw him finish an ok 4th over 9.5 furlongs on soft ground before switching yards and going hurdling.

A poor first outing for Anthony McCann saw him come a weak 7th in a maiden hurdle, beaten a wide margin.

Last seen in a maiden hurdle won by HMS Seahorse, he certainly shaped better to be 3rd but was well beaten by a rival who failed to land a major blow in a handicap.

Going for a Grade 1 here looks well out of his reach. A huge step forward needed to be troubling the market leaders.

Owner and stablemate of Pied Piper, Fil Dor ran only once on the flat over in France and finished a decent 2nd before moving over to Gordon Elliott.

A wide margin winner on debut beating Sea Sessions, he then quickly gained grade 3 success when beating Lunar Power on quick ground.

He faced that same opponent again in a Grade 2 next time out and although conceding weight this time, showed his improvement to win by an even wider margin.

Last seen in Leopardstown being unable to live with Vauban, he looks to have a mountain to climb to reverse form with that rival but will likely appreciate a return to softer ground.

Winning his only start in France in an AQPS race, Icare Allen looked smart over a mile and half on soft ground and ended up being purchased by J P McManus.

Sent over to Willie Mullins, he won a maiden for 3 year old’s back in December handily before being no match for Vauban at the Dublin racing festival. Becoming outpaced turning in he wilted back into 5th despite being a handy 2nd.

With experience behind him and switching to a stiffer course, he won on soft ground at Fairyhouse last time out to win a Grade 3 event with ease at short odds.

Soft ground and a stiff track will suit but he has something to find with Vauban.

Mullins’ second string in this race is Il Etait Temps. Two runs on soft ground over in France in AQPS races failed to yield a win but hinted at promise. His best run coming on very deep ground.

Only seen once over hurdles, Mullins clearly had plenty of faith in him and dropped him in at the deep end to debut in a grade 1 behind Vauban.

He ran a screamer at 40/1 to be 3rd behind his stablemate and not beaten overly far at that.

There’s plenty of improvement to come off the back of that and he could be a good each way angle.