JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial
Juvenile Hurdle, Cheltenham 12:05 £20,000 added, 3yo only, 2m 179y, Class 2
Saturday 10th December 2016

1 Defi Du Seuil 4/6F
2 Coeur De Lion 5/1
3 Nachi Falls 50/1
5 ran Distances: 1¾l, 9l, 6l
TIME 4m 11.60s (slow by 17.60s)

Defi Du Seuil gained his second impressive win at Cheltenham in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle on Saturday.

Defi Du Seuil
© Racehorse Photos

Philip Hobbs' three-year-old didn't come off the bridle when winning at the Open meeting and he was sent off the 4-6 favourite on the back of that.

Coeur de Lion was always prominent and made the winner work a little harder, but Defi Du Seuil ultimately put the race to bed with little fuss under Barry Geraghty, winning by a length-and-three-quarters after giving the runner-up 3lb.

The disappointment of the race was Domperignon Du Lys, a bad mistake three from home ending any chance he had.

Hobbs said: "Barry was particularly impressed with how he jumped the last hurdle long and still did it very well. His words were 'he is on springs'.

"The big plus is that he is very sound, very tough and very willing and that's important. We are thinking from the Triumph Hurdle and working backwards.

"The Finale at Chepstow is two weeks away. We are not ruling that out, but on the other hand we are not going to get greedy."

Sky Bet cut the winner to 8-1 from 12s for the Triumph and spokesman Michael Shinners said: "He's the best we've seen in this division in Britain and his experience around the track will stand him in good stead come Festival time.

"His owner, though, has a powerful juvenile squad with many trained by Joseph O'Brien in Ireland. As for his place in that pecking order, your guess is as good as mine!"

JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial (Juvenile Hurdle)
£20,000 added, 3yo only, 2m 179y, Class 2
5 ran
Going: Good to Soft (Good in places)

Pos	D	Horse SP	Jockey Weight	Trainer	Age
1st		Defi Du Seuil (FR) 4/6f	B J Geraghty 11-5	P J Hobbs	3
2nd	1¾	Coeur de Lion 5/1	R Johnson 11-2	A King	3
3rd	9	Nachi Falls 50/1	Aidan Coleman 11-5	N J Hawke	3
4th	6	Domperignon Du Lys (FR) 5/2	D A Jacob 11-5	N J Henderson	3
5th	1¾	Candy Burg (FR) 50/1	L Treadwell 11-5	Miss V Williams	3