British Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls is on course for one of his best seasons on the track and he can be very excited about the future with his juvenile hurdler Kalif Du Berlais. His horse won the Grade Two Adonis Hurdle at Kempton his latest start.
The victory at the Surrey-based racecourse was Kalif Du Berlais’s third success of the season. He was made to work hard this time as Givemefive pushed him hard inside the final couple of furlongs.
Nicholls Runner Will Now Head to the Festival
Kalif Du Berlais has an entry in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, one of the leading juvenile races at the meeting. Nicholls is 25/1 to be the top trainer at the meeting for those placing Cheltenham 2024 bets, and the Ditcheat man will see his Kempton winner as one of his best chances of having a winner across the four days.
Nicholls’ runner has been one of the Cheltenham Festival tips for the juvenile race at the meeting ever since he moved to the UK from France in January. He began his career with a success in Compiegne before recording back-to-back wins at Kempton.
The Ditcheat trainer has won the Triumph Hurdle twice so far in his career. Celestial Halo prevailed in 2008, while in 2011, Zarkandar came out on top. The 14-time Champion Trainer will be hoping his latest recruit can help him complete a hat-trick in the day four contest.
Sir Gino Sets the Standard
Kalif Du Berlais will come up against Sir Geno in this year’s Triumph Hurdle. Nicky Henderson’s runner has set the standard ahead of the Grade One contest based on what he achieved in two runs in the UK.
The four-year-old prevailed in a Listed race at Auteuil on his sole start in France. The Seven Barrowsrunner then won a juvenile hurdle at Kempton by 14 lengths in what was an eye-catching performance.
Henderson, a trainer who has won the Triumph Hurdle more than anybody else in history, then stepped his hurdler up in class at Cheltenham. He won the Grade Two Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, beating Burdett Road by 10 lengths. The course winner is odds-on to have more success during the Festival.
Kargese The Leading Irish Challenger
With five career appearances, Irish hurdler Kargese is one of the most experienced runners in the Triumph Hurdle field. The four-year-old filly won a Grade Three contest in France before switching to Willie Mullins’ stable in Ireland.
Kargese finished second on her debut for Mullins in the Grade Two Dublin Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown. She was less than a length behind the winner in that 2m race. Just a month later, Mullins’ runner scored at the highest level in the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Mullins has nine runners with entries in the Triumph Hurdle. The last four renewals of the race have been won by Irish-trained horses, with Mullins having success in 2022 and 2023 with Vauban and Lossiemouth respectively.
The 2024 Triumph Hurdle will take place at 1.30pm on Friday, 15th of March. It is the opening race on day four of the meeting.
