Triumph Hurdle: Cheltenham Festival RaceCHELTENHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 16: Robert Thornton rides Katchit to victory in The JCB Triumph Hurdle Race on the final day of The Annual National Hunt Festival held at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 16, 2007 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The Triumph Hurdle is a keenly anticipated hurdle races of the Cheltenham Festival.

The Triumph Hurdle is one of the oldest races of the Cheltenham Festival and was first run at Hurst Park in 1939. The race was incorporated into the Cheltenham Festival in 1965 when the Hurst Park racing facilities were closed, and was won that year by Blarney Beacon ridden by Geordie Ramshaw.

The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race. The race is run over 2 miles and 1 furlong and horses are required to clear eight hurdles during the race. National Hunt hurdle races are used to prepare horses for the longer distances and higher obstacles in steeplechase events.

Triumph Hurdle Winners

The Triumph Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival race, is typically fiercely contested, involving the finest jockeys in National Hunt racing. Although Irish jockeys have performed well in the Triumph Hurdle, their dominance has not been as pronounced as in some of the other Cheltenham Festival races.

In recent years English jockeys Robert Thornton and Richard Johnson have made the race their own, holding off the strong Irish contenders since 2004. The most successful jockey in the history of the event is Jimmy Uttley who emerged as the Triumph Hurdle winner three times between 1967 and 1971.

Because the Triumph Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival race, is run by four-year-old novice racehorses the race delivers a new winner in each year of running. Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer in the history of the event, having trained three Triumph Hurdle winners.

Triumph Hurdle Betting

With the Triumph Hurdle run by four-year-old novices, inexperience is often the biggest obstacle a horse has to face. A good Triumph Hurdle betting tip is to look out for horses that have moved to National Hunt racing from careers in flat racing, as they will have the experience and toughness to push to the end.

In races featuring novices it can also be a good idea to use the movement of the Triumph Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival race, betting market for indications of which horses are in with a realistic chance of winning.

For live horse race betting we recommend William Hill, one of the world's leading bookmakers.