Cheltenham 2017: Friday’s Trends
What form does the Gold Cup winner usually have? All your questions answered as we look ahead to the fourth and final day of the Festival.
JCB Triumph Hurdle
- 10 of the 12 winners could be found in the first four in the betting since the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle was introduced into the Festival
- Only 1 winner defied an absence as long as 55 days since 1992
- French imports have won 4 of the last 8 runnings
- 4 of the last 5 winners contested the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown
- 4 of the last 10 winners were officially top rated by the BHA
- Nicky Henderson has trained 6 winners and supplied the 1-2-3 two years ago
Randox Health County Hurdle
- 12 of the last 13 winners were second-season hurdlers
- 11 of the last 13 winners were officially rated in the 130s and aged five or six
- Only 2 winners have carried more than 11st 2lb since 1960
- Irish-trained horses have won seven of the last ten runnings including a 1-2-3-4-5-6 two years ago
- 4 of the last 9 winners contested the Coral.ie Hurdle at Leopardstown
- Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls has trained 6 of the last 11 winners between them
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- 6 of the 12 winners were second-season novices
- 8 of the 12 winners had run in a pattern novice hurdle at Cheltenham earlier in the season
- 4 of the last 10 winners contested the Classic Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in January
- Only 1 winner has run on the Flat
- 9 of the last 12 winners finished first or second last time out
- Gigginstown House Stud have owned two winners and supplied the second and third in 2015
Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Second-season chasers have won 13 of the last 27 runnings
- No winner over the age of 9 since 1969
- The last 17 winners had won a Grade 1 race before
- Willie Mullins has yet to train the winner from 17 runners but saddled 6 runners up
St James’s Place Foxhunters’ Chase
- Irish-trained horse have won the last 6 runnings
- 25 of the last 28 winners started their career in point-to-points
- The Raymond Smith Hunter Chase at Leopardstown has featured the last 5 winners
- 23 of the last 26 winners were aged no older than ten
- 22 of the last 23 winners had won under Rules (not purely point-to-point wins)
- Last-time-out winners have won 23 of the last 31 runnings
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
- The last five winners were all officially rated 139+
- Of the 32 horses to pay a win or place dividend, only four were not in their first or second season over hurdles
- Only 1 of David Pipe’s 16 runners has finished in the frame
- Willie Mullins has saddled 3 winners of which 2 were owned by Gigginstown House Stud who have also had 4 other placed horses
- Paul Nicholls has saddled 2 winners and 2 more placed horses
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase
- Novices have won 4 of the last 8 runnings
- 63 of the last 72 win-and-placed horses were filled by horses under the age of ten
- Irish-trained horses have enjoyed 6 winners and 5 runners-up in the last 17 years
- 7 of the last 9 British-trained Grand Annual winners had won at Cheltenham before
- J P McManus has owned two winners and two seconds in the last five years to add to his victory in 2005
- Paul Nicholls has saddled 3 winners in the last 13 years
