THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE

William Alexander Baring Bingham, who purchased
Prestbury Park and re-established racing at Cheltenham
in 1898. Istabraq (1997), Hardy Eustace (2003) and
Faugheen (2014) all succeeded in the Neptune Investment
Management Novices’ Hurdle en route to victory in the Stan
James Champion Hurdle, while Davy Lad (1975) went on to
take the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup. Only one horse has
won both the Neptune Investment Management Novices’
Hurdle and the RSA Chase. The West Awake took the hurdle
race in 1987 and the chase event a year later. The Irish have
an excellent record in the Neptune Investment Management
Novices’ Hurdle with 19 wins, including six consecutive
victories from 1973-78. The latest success came from the
Willie Mullins-trained Yorkhill in 2016. Oliver Sherwood and
the late Dessie Hughes won the race as trainers and jockeys.
Sherwood was aboard Venture To Cognac in 1979, while his
training wins have been with The West Awake (1987) and
Rebel Song (1988). Dessie Hughes was twice successful as a
jockey on Davy Lad (1975) and Parkhill (1976) and sent out
Hardy Eustace (2003) to victory as a trainer. Sun Alliance,
who merged with Royal Insurance in 1996, took it on in 1974,
together with the Sun Alliance Chase, having previously
sponsored the Foxhunter Chase. Ballymore Properties
sponsored the contest between 2007 and 2009, while
Neptune Investment Management backed the race for the
first time in 2010.
JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE
The JCB Triumph Hurdle was first run at Hurst Park in
1939 and transferred to Cheltenham in 1965 on the closure
of the London course. The race originally took place at
Cheltenham’s April Meeting but was moved to The Festival
in 1968. The contest, over two miles and a furlong, has only
had three sponsors since transferring to Cheltenham, with
the Daily Express backing from 1965 to 1996, and then
the Elite Racing Club sponsoring from 1997 to 2000. The
current sponsor JCB has backed the race since 2002. The
Triumph Hurdle is restricted to four-year-olds only and
three winners have progressed to victory in the Stan James
Champion Hurdle. Persian War won the Triumph in 1967 and
reeled off three Champion Hurdles from 1968-70; Kribensis
won the Triumph in 1988 and the Champion Hurdle in 1990,
while in 2008 Katchit added a Champion Hurdle victory
to his success in the 2007 JCB Triumph Hurdle. Lambourn
handler Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer with
six victories courtesy of First Bout (1985), Alone Success
(1987), Katarino (1999), Zaynar (2009), Soldatino (2010) and
Peace And Co (2015). Barry Geraghty is the winning-most
jockey with five wins, having ridden Spectroscope (2003),
Zaynar (2009), Soldatino (1020), Peace And Co (2015) and
Ivanovich Gorbatov (2016) to success, the ninth Irish-trained
horse to succeed. The shortest-priced winner was Attivo,
owned by the legendary BBC racing commentator Sir Peter
O’Sullevan, who obliged at odds of 4/5 in 1974.
ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES’ HURDLE
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is run over three miles
and was added to The Festival in 2005 when the meeting
expanded to four days. Initially sponsored by Brit Insurance,
it was backed by Albert Bartlett for the first time in 2008,
coinciding with its upgrade to Grade One status. Trainer
Jonjo O’Neill has recorded two victories with Black Jack
Ketchum (2006) and Wichita Lineman (2007), while Sir A
P McCoy gained three wins – the same two plus At Fishers
Cross (2013). The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle has proved
to be a good pointer to the RSA Chase in recent years. Bobs
Worth and Weapon’s Amnesty, who captured the Albert
Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in 2011 and 2009 respectively,
went on to win the RSA Chase the following season. In
2013, Bobs Worth became the first winner of the Albert
Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle to subsequently capture the Timico
Cheltenham Gold Cup.
THE TRULL HOUSE STUD MARES’
NOVICES’ HURDLE
Introduced at The Festival in 2016, the Grade Two Trull
House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle offers an opportunity
for novice mares to compete against their own sex. Run
over two miles and a furlong and open to four-year-olds
and upwards, the newest race at The Festival is sponsored
by owners and breeders Richard and Lizzie Kelvin Hughes.
Limini took the first running for trainer Willie Mullins and
jockey Ruby Walsh.
NOVICE CHASES AT THE FESTIVAL
Cheltenham Media Guide 2017
RACING POST ARKLE NOVICES’ CHASE
The two-mile Racing Post Arkle Chase was inaugurated
with its current title in 1969, after Arkle’s three wins in
the Cheltenham Gold Cup (1964-66). It was known as the
Cotswold Chase before 1969. Until 1980, the Racing Post
Arkle Chase was always run on the Wednesday of The
Festival. It now takes place on the opening day, Tuesday.
The Racing Post Arkle Chase has always been a fiercely
contested event, and the following winners have gone on
to other Championship victories at The Festival:
u u 2012 Sprinter Sacre (Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase winner 2013 & 2016)
u u 2010 Sizing Europe (Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase winner 2011)
u u 2006 Voy Por Ustedes (Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase winner 2007)
u u 2003 Azertyuiop (Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase winner 2004)
u u 2002 Moscow Flyer (Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase winner 2003 & 2005)
uu
1999 Flagship Uberalles (Betway Queen Mother
Champion Chase winner 2002)
uu
1995 Klairon Davis (Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase winner 1996)
uu
1991 Remittance Man (Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase winner 1992)
uu
1978 Alverton (Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup winner
1979).
uu
Alverton is the only horse to have won both the Racing
Post Arkle Chase and Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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