Triumph Hurdle Stats & Trends 2025

Date: Friday 14th March

Time: 1.20PM

The opening race of the final day of the Cheltenham Festival in 2025 is the leading event of the season to be exclusively contested by juvenile hurdles.

The Triumph Hurdle has offered a launching pad to some legendary horses since 1939, including two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll and Champion Hurdle-challenger Lossiemouth.

Horses aged four will compete over the two-mile and one furlong distance on the New Course, and the trends to help pinpoint the most likely winner can be found here.

Seven of the last 12 winners of the Triumph Hurdle have been last time out winners, while all victors since 2013 have lined up within 48 days of the Festival.

Two key prep races are worth considering, most notably the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown, which has produced eight of the last 12 winners. Three of the eight runners have won both races.

The Finesse Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham has also been a key prep, with two winners of the Triumph previously winning the Cheltenham trial. That trend could bode well for East India Dock for the James Owen team.

Despite the Finesse Juvenile Hurdle being a key prep for the Triumph Hurdle, it is worth considering that Cheltenham experience isn’t essential. That is reflected in the fact that only two winners of the Triumph since 2013 have had at least one previous start at Cheltenham.

Both winners were also victors in the prep race. Therefore, horses that finished second or worse at the track are easy to overlook, which is concerning for Noel George-trained Stencil.

The ratings make for essential reading when assessing the chances of the Triumph contenders. Nine of the winners since 2013 have been rated 139 or higher.

It is worth noting that three of the previous winners hadn’t gained an official rating. Horses rated 140+ have been the way forward in recent years, with three of the last four reaching this benchmark.

French-bred horses have been a common trend worth following with the Triumph Hurdle in mind throughout recent history. Seven of the last ten winners were French-bred, including each of the last three.

That bodes well for a lot of the market principles, including Lulamba, Lady Vega Allen, and Saint Lucie.

The Triumph Hurdle has been a race in which Willie Mullins holds a very dominant record in. The Irish maestro has sent out the winner in each of the last three renewals, and four of the last five.

Meanwhile, Mullins has had a one-two finishes last year, and the first four home in 2023. In fact, Irish trainers have won the last five editions of the race, with the latest British success coming in the form of Pentland Hills for Nicky Henderson in 2019.

Lulamba and East India Dock both ensure a strong British hand this year, but Willie Mullins could hold the key of the runners at bigger prices.

Lady Vega Allen should be dangerous in receipt of her mares allowance, and she should come on plenty from her effort when beaten a short head by Hello Neighbour on Irish debut in the G2 Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.

Picked up well from the second last on that effort, and was unlucky not to edge out the eventual winner. Will come on for that run, and should strip fitter ahead of big spring targets, beginning at the Dublin Racing Festival. A win in that key trial would see her emerge as the leading Irish hope in the Triumph.