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Cheltenham Trials Day- Saturday

Cba with all that tiny-field pattern nonsense.

Big handicaps are where it's at for me.

Btw, people can call threads what they like (obvs) but the reason I start mine with "The 2026...." etc is so in years to come anyone wanting to scroll back can see what year was being talked about.

There is well meaning method in my pedantic madness.

Definitely worth a thread for those many who will be interested.
 
Calling the 1240 the JCB Triumph 'Trial' is something of a misnomer, since 2000, 51 runners have gone on to run in the Triumph hurdle in March and only 3 have won and 7 have placed.

Where they do actually go on and do well is in the Aintree Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle Stakes in April , since 2000, 26 runners have headed to Aintree and 8 have won and 4 have placed.
This includes 11 winners of JCB Triumph Trial/Finesse, of which 5 of them won the following Aintree Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle Stakes
 
I think the opening novices race is fascinating. I've gone with Jordans Cross as I think this stamina test compared to the last day at Donny will suit him down to the ground - and he's proven at the track over fences which you can't say about Barlovento (who is surely only fav because because Bowen rides) and Push the Button who I kind of think was flattered last time. I think Hendo's horse is the main danger.

No interest in the Triumph trial.

Jagwar actually backable at 7/4 and 15/8 earlier this evening which was very reasonable. I have him in doubles with Jetara at Donny and an NBA future. Booster Bob is a place lay.

I've backed Placenet ew in the XC now he's got a (semi) decent pilot onboard.

No interest in the other small field shithouse races. It's about time they nixed the Cotswold completely. I much prefer the similar race at Windsor.
 
Euronymous said:
I think the opening novices race is fascinating. I've gone with Jordans Cross as I think this stamina test compared to the last day at Donny will suit him down to the ground - and he's proven at the track over fences which you can't say about Barlovento (who is surely only fav because because Bowen rides) and Push the Button who I kind of think was flattered last time. I think Hendo's horse is the main danger.

No interest in the Triumph trial.

Jagwar actually backable at 7/4 and 15/8 earlier this evening which was very reasonable. I have him in doubles with Jetara at Donny and an NBA future. Booster Bob is a place lay.

I've backed Placenet ew in the XC now he's got a (semi) decent pilot onboard.

No interest in the other small field shithouse races. It's about time they nixed the Cotswold completely. I much prefer the similar race at Windsor.
Click to expand...

I think he'll drift out to 5/2

Question is, is tomorrow his cup final or in March?
 
pawras said:
Calling the 1240 the JCB Triumph 'Trial'
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I think they have three of these at Cheltenham each season and they all have the exact same race title.

There was a time when virtually every race on the British Racing Calendar had a unique (hence distinctive) race title.

Maybe I am getting slightly less tolerant as I get older, but I'd send people to prison for giving two different races the same title.

And as for three or more....
 
Ian_Davies said:
I think they have three of these at Cheltenham each season and they all have the exact same race title.

There was a time when virtually every race on the British Racing Calendar had a unique (hence distinctive) race title.

Maybe I am getting slightly less tolerant as I get older, but I'd send people to prison for giving two different races the same title.

And as for three or more....
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These are the races that ran in 2025 with "Triumph" in the name

1769243257474.png
 
Ian_Davies said:
I think they have three of these at Cheltenham each season and they all have the exact same race title.

There was a time when virtually every race on the British Racing Calendar had a unique (hence distinctive) race title.

Maybe I am getting slightly less tolerant as I get older, but I'd send people to prison for giving two different races the same title.

And as for three or more....
Click to expand...
Don't get me started on how the British and Irish racing authorities aren't consistent with their naming of races !
Cos I track and cross ref all the listed and g1-3 races in GB and IRE (which is about 1000 for flat and jumps), maintaining that due to lack of a consistent naming convention is a task in itself.
Logically it should be "Sponsor" + "Fixed Race Name" + "Other race details e.g. Juvenile Hurdle" + "Class"
 
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Jagwar is an unreliable ponce and the jockey remains as bang average today as he was last time he rode the horse.

You can only depend on three things with Jagwar - he'll be overbet, sky fences and find little off the bit.
 
Desert Orchid said:
My own suspicion is that they might feel they have unfinished Festival business with Jagwar so I won't be surprised if he ends up 'disappointing' tomorrow.
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Apologies to J's backers but I have to admit I was willing the winner all the way home from the last, partly because I decided today wasn't the day for J.

I was dead wrong about that but the one horse, apart from J, that kept catching my eye all through the second circuit was the winner. I backed UB w/o J and kept noticing how D kept taking lengths off him. The jumping stats for that race will be interesting and maybe informative and I suspect the best jumper won.

They were miles clear so the winner has beaten a proper JP job and his future now sits in the hands of the handicapper. The front two will probably go up 8-10lbs for that, which might cost J any festival glory they might have been hoping for.
 
Ruby Walsh got it spot on this morning, saying that this was a conditioning race for Flooring Porter but you have to wonder about Skelton on Grey Dawning. That was a poorly judged pace. L'Homme Presse was getting it all very easily to himself up front and ST was best placed to give him a race and that's how it worked out. RW's info [that ST was going to win] was on the money.
 

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