After consecutive years of Irish winners, the Triumph Hurdle of 2025 may go to the home team if the betting has it right. At the top of the market for the four-year-olds only Grade 1 at Cheltenham on Friday, 14 March are two British hopefuls.
East India Dock is the latest in a string of Flat converts sent jumping by owners the Gredley Family. He arrives at the Festival off the back of two victories for James Owen in official Grade 2 trials for the race held here earlier in the season.
On both occasions, East India Dock ran out a most impressive winner, storming well clear up the famous hill. That course form alone should be enough for him to be one of the clear Cheltenham favourites on Gold Cup day. Nothing is ever that simple, though, is it?
Standing in the way of East India Dock in the Triumph Hurdle of 2025 is the talented and unexposed Lulamba for the Nicky Henderson stable. Nothing like as exposed as his main market rival, he made a very taking British debut when scoring on the bridle around Ascot.
As of the time of final Festival declarations, Cheltenham betting sites can’t split East India Dock and Lulamba. It’s the age old dilemma of punters of proven course form against the potential for even better. As those prices, siding with both is odds-on to your money.
There is also the possibility that this isn’t simply a two-horse race, whatever the market says. Spring Juvenile Hurdle hero Hello Neighbour is clear third-favourite for Gavin Cromwell and heading a legion of raiders from he Emerald Isle so typical on Gold Cup day.
Willie Mullins Runs 11 in Triumph Hurdle of 2025
Most of the 18-runner field represent Willie Mullins who, not to be outdone by seven Cheltenham horses in the race in each of the last two years, now saddles 11. Paul Townend chooses Lady Vega Allen, twice in the frame behind Hello Neighbour.
Of the other 10, three make their hurdling debuts and as many more represent Mullins’ Closutton stable for just the second time. He clearly doesn’t have a standout juvenile hurdler like in recent season with Majborough, Lossiemouth and Vauban.
A fifth victory in six seasons by sheer weight of numbers for the Triumph Hurdle in 2025 could happen. The latest Cheltenham odds respect the pick of stable jockey Townend with good reason. Most of the others are pretty difficult to fathom as to their form and ability.
That is one of the downsides of Gold Cup day. Other Grade 1 races on the card like this and the Albert Bartlett can be pretty murky from a punting perspective. There are any number of dark horses outside the market principals. Mob-handed Mullins doesn’t know the pecking order himself.
In amongst the Closutton battalion, battle-hardened Irish Flat handicapper Gibbs Island goes for trainer Tom Lacey. He’s done nothing wrong in landing a couple of hurdles outings earlier in the calendar year. While Gibbs Island doesn’t lack racecourse experience, it’s more a matter of whether his form matches the market principals.
Mondo Man may also be capable of better for the home team. He’s in the Triumph Hurdle of 2025 on the Cheltenham race card after a disappointing display in the Adonis around Kempton. It settling better, however, he was very useful on the Flat when trained in France and has senior rider Brian Hughes taking over in the saddle.
