Triumph bid not fanciful for 'add-milk-and-stir juvenile' Doctor Parnassus

Doctor Parnassus should not be dismissed despite what appears an Irish stranglehold on the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Dan Skelton insisted on Monday.

The Flat-bred gelding is two from two over hurdles and is 10-1 in places for the Triumph, which has the seemingly formidable Irish trio of Vauban, Pied Piper and Fil Dor at the head of its market.

"He's built like a tank, really strong and experienced," said a smitten Skelton.

"He's a half-brother to Metier and we all know what he's done over hurdles. I thought he'd be an add-milk-and-stir juvenile. I didn't know how good he'd be, but thought it would be a simple transition to hurdles.

"He hasn't taken me by surprise because he's got the physical make-up and attitude to do it. He's not flashy, but he's a grafter and I think you need that type for a Triumph."

Metier is at home in testing conditions and the trainer went on: "I don't think it runs through this horse's head what ground he's running on; he's almost got a Forrest Gump attitude and just runs, and I like that about him.

"There's a massive scale of juvenile hurdlers from your small ex-Flat horses, who might be too nimble and perhaps intimidated by the jumps, to the National Hunt types who are 16.3 hands and too weak. The best juveniles are the ones like this – hardy, robust, mature for their age. You can get stuck into them and get them fitter. You daren't train those National Hunt juveniles because there's not enough bulk.

"I don't know if he's good enough to win the Triumph and, on form, it might be home and hosed for Ireland with Vauban and Fil Dor, while if Pied Piper's performance at Cheltenham in January is true, then what are we turning up for?

"It doesn't work like that with juveniles, though, and the Triumph is a tough race, and I love a grafter's attitude in a juvenile."

'He's got as good a chance as anything we've taken there before'

Skelton showed off his festival squad to the media on Monday and rates it "significantly the best in terms of quality".

West Cork (left): would be a fourth County winner for SkeltonCredit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

Langer Dan (Martin Pipe) and Ballygrifincottage (Albert Bartlett) are names to note, but the Warwickshire outfit have captured the McCoy Contractors County Hurdle three times and Greatwood winner West Cork is a well-regarded 8-1 chance.

"He had a bad overreach at Ascot before Christmas, but I think he was on the cusp of weakening when that happened," Skelton added.

"That's that bounce factor, which I don't understand and I'm around horses every day. I believe he's a Graded horse and will go further than what he is.

"We've always got one eye on the County Hurdle and I think he's got as good a chance as anything we've taken there before."

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