Champion trainers' race set to go all the way and Radford's welcome resurgence - three things we learned last week

Heavy rain meant it was a quiet week on the racecourse but there were still significant Cheltenham clues and other jumps news . . .

Title race could go the distance

The weekend was not a major stop-off on the road towards naming the 2023-24 champion jumps trainer, but the spotlight still fell on the two challengers, Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson, and just how close the battle between them could be.

The margin between the pair is just short of £360,000, with Nicholls in front, but the two vying for the prize agree there could be a tight finish, with Henderson able to use elite talents, Constitution Hill and Jonbon, as well as a host of top novices and the enigmatic Shishkin. Nicholls admits his rival has a few "penalty kicks" but feels he is well placed to defend his prize.

The 14-time champion Nicholls is 1-3 with Sky Bet to retain the title, but it still promises to be a fascinating watch over the next four months.
James Stevens

Radford colours a welcome sight

The limited action we had on Saturday did at least provide a small spotlight on the welcome mini-resurgence of some well-known silks.

Tim Radford's colours were carried with distinction by the likes of Somersby, Racing Demon and Mister Whitaker, but had almost entirely dropped out of the game a couple of seasons ago. He had only one runner in the 2021-22 season in Britain.

Handstands: made it 2-2 over hurdles with an easy success at NewcastleCredit: GROSSICK RACING

However, a comeback last season has continued this campaign and Radford has had four winners from five runners in his silks this season, most recently with Handstands at Newcastle on Saturday. 

He and fellow novice hurdler Fiercely Proud appear nice prospects for Radford and Ben Pauling, and they look primed to go after loftier targets later this season after winning their first two starts this campaign.
Matt Butler

Connections tease mouthwatering Anglo-Irish Triumph clash

The Cheltenham Festival provides us with the opportunity to see the best horses in Britain and Ireland face off and last week connections of two of the leading Triumph Hurdle hopefuls mapped out their routes to Prestbury Park.

The last four runnings of the Triumph have gone to Ireland and last year only three of the 15-runner field were British-trained – with none of those shorter than 50-1 in the betting – but this year's market is headed by Newmarket-based Burdett Road. The Royal Ascot winner is unbeaten in two hurdles starts.

James Owen's charge was a late withdrawal from last month's Grade 2 Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow on account of testing ground conditions, but earlier this weekOwen reported his star to be "good and training great", with his intended pre-Cheltenham target set to be at Prestbury Park on the Trials day card. He was an impressive winner at the track in November's Grade 2 Triumph trial. 

Burdett Road: winner of the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at CheltenhamCredit: John Grossick

Willie Mullins has won three of the last four Triumphs and the trainer's Bunting is set to step up to Grade 1 levelat next month's Dublin Racing Festival.

The Tony Bloom-owned gelding made an impressive debut for Mullins when running out an eight-length winner of a juvenile hurdle at Limerick over Christmas, and connections are keen to test his Triumph credentials in the Donohue Marquees Spring Juvenile Hurdle, which Mullins has won in the last two years with Gala Marceau and Vauban. 

Should both horses pass their pre-festival targets with flying colours, we could be set for a fascinating battle between the leading juvenile hurdlers from both sides of the Irish Sea.
Joe Eccles   

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