The JCB Triumph Hurdle is the first race run on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival. The race is exclusive to 4yo horses, or ‘juvenile hurdlers’ and will take place at the 2026 festival at 1.20pm on Friday 13 March.
Our team of tipsters that include the likes of Matty Sutcliffe and Andrew Mount will provide their Triumph Hurdle tips here…
Matty Sutcliffe’s Triumph Hurdle Tips
13:20 JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
Result
3rd 7/1
Matty Sutcliffe is expecting a special performance from Minella Study in the Triumph Hurdle. Although not trained by a big yard, he has put up some excellent performances and can provide another one here.
Andrew Mount’s Triumph Hurdle Tips
13:20 JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
Result
12th 16/1
North Shore is a solid each-way play according to Andrew Mount. He has finished third and fourth behind Narciso Has, absent from this, and those races’ form is usually a useful guide.
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JCB Triumph Hurdle Odds – Race 1, Friday 13th March 1:20pm
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Macho Man
J: Brian Hayes
T: W P Mullins
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All About The JCB Triumph Hurdle in 2027
The Triumph Hurdle has been a festival regular since its inception back in 1939, and British machining company JCB renew their sponsorship in 2026, on what will be its 21st consecutive year of sponsorship.
The race is run on Cheltenham’s New Course. The New Course is traditionally seen to provide a greater test than the Old Course, with just two flights jumped in the last six furlongs.
The 2026 Triumph Hurdle looks wide open with Proactif, Selma De Vary and Maestro Conti all looking leading contenders. In a wide open betting heat, this year’s renewal should see bumper field go to post and find the winner will not be an easy task.
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Qualifications/Trends
Check out some of the leading Triumph Hurdle trends:
- 4 of the last 10 winners have been favourite
- 8 of the last 10 winners were trained in Ireland
- Only 3 of the last winners lined up unbeaten before winning the Triumph
JCB Triumph Hurdle History
The JCB Triumph Hurdle has been a permanent fixture in the racing calendar since 1939, albeit for most of its early years the race was contested at the now defunct Hurst Park.
When the track was shut, Cheltenham took over staging the Triumph Hurdle, with the race held during their April meeting from 1965 before coming part of the Festival race roster in 1968.
Agricultural and Construction heavy duty machinery manufacturers JCB have held sponsorship rights for the race since 2002, and as such the JCB Triumph Hurdle is one of the longest standing partnerships between race and sponsor of any at the Festival.
The now retired Barry Geraghty became the race’s most successful rider when scoring aboard Ivanovich Gorbatov back in 2016. That was the Irishman’s fifth victory in the Triumph Hurdle, following on from his wins aboard Spectroscope (2003), Zaynar (2009), Soldatino (2010) and Peace And Co (2015).
Geraghty’s long-time boss, Nicky Henderson, is the most successful trainer in Triumph Hurdle history. The duo teamed up for three of the Lambourn handler’s victories (Zaynar, Soldatino and Peace And Co) with Henderson’s other victories courtesy of First Bout (1985), Alone Success (1987) and Katarino (1999) coming under Steve Smith Eccles and Mick Fitzgerald. Nicky Henderson’s seventh – and most recent – Triumph Hurdle win came from Pentland Hills in 2019.
Being run over just over 2m, the Triumph Hurdle is naturally seen by many as a trial for the following year’s Champion Hurdle. Yet, only four horses have managed to complete the Triumph Hurdle – Champion Hurdle double, the most famous of those probably being the three-time Champion Hurdler Persian War, who took the big race in 1968, 1969 and 1970, following on from his 1967 Triumph victory.
The most recent horse to complete the Triumph Hurdle – Champion Hurdle double was Katchit, who stepped up on his 2007 Triumph victory when running out a 10/1 winner of hurdling’s biggest prize a mere 12 months later. Espoir D’Allen was a 5yo Champion Hurdle winner in 2019, but the ill-fated gelding had not contested the previous year’s Triumph.
The Triumph Hurdle also earned a place in Cheltenham folklore in 2025. Poniros became the first 100/1 winner at the meeting for 35 years when winning on his hurdles debut for Willie Mullins that season.
Winners since 2000
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Snow Drop | Thierry Doumen | Francois Doumen | 7/1F | |
| 2001 | VOID | VOID | VOID | VOID | |
| 2002 | Scolardy | Charlie Swan | Willie Mullins | 16/1 | |
| 2003 | Spectroscope | Barry Geraghty | Jonjo O’Neill | 20/1 | |
| 2004 | Made In Japan | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs | 20/1 | |
| 2005 | Penzance | Robert Thornton | Alan King | 9/1 | |
| 2006 | Detroit City | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs | 7/2F | |
| 2007 | Katchit | Robert Thornton | Alan King | 11/2 | |
| 2008 | Celestial Halo | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls | 5/1 | |
| 2009 | Zaynar | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson | 11/2 | |
| 2010 | Soldatino | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson | 6/1 | |
| 2011 | Zarkandar | Daryl Jacob | Paul Nicholls | 13/2 | |
| 2012 | Countrywide Flame | Dougie Costello | John Quinn | 33/1 | |
| 2013 | Our Conor | Bryan Cooper | Dessie Hughes | 4/1 | |
| 2014 | Tiger Roll | Davy Russell | Gordon Elliott | 10/1 | |
| 2015 | Peace And Co | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson | 2/1F | |
| 2016 | Ivanovich Gorbatov | Barry Geraghty | Aidan O’Brien | 9/2F | |
| 2017 | Defi Du Seuil | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs | 5/2F | |
| 2018 | Farclas | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott | 9/1 | |
| 2019 | Pentland Hills | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 20/1 | |
| 2020 | Burning Victory | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 12/1 | |
| 2021 | Quilixios | Rachael Blackmore | Henry De Bromhead | 2/1 | |
| 2022 | Vauban | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 6/4F | |
| 2023 | Lossiemouth | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 11/8F | |
| 2024 | Majborough | Mark Walsh | Willie Mullins | 6/1 | |
| 2025 | Poniros | Jonjo O’Neill Jnr | Willie Mullins | 100/1 | |
| 2026 | Apolon De Charnie | Patrick Mullins | Willie Mullins | 50/1 |
Cheltenham Festival Racing Schedule
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