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Eight Tolworth Hurdle winners who went on to win at Cheltenham

Last Updated: Thu 21 Dec 2023

The Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle, first run in 1976, has a rich roll of honour and Saturday’s renewal could yield another star with Luccia, the favourite, among three unbeaten contenders.

Many winners of the two-mile Sandown feature have gone on to great things and below are eight who went on to triumph at the Cheltenham Festival.

Desert Orchid won the Tolworth in 1984 before going on to be a superstar over fences (Racingfotos)

1984: DESERT ORCHID. 10 ran. Going: good. SP: 5-6 fav.

The mighty Desert Orchid is best remembered for his exploits over fences but he also made his mark over hurdles, landing the Tolworth as a five-year-old in 1984 after wins at Ascot and Kempton earlier that season.

Desert Orchid had already established himself as a zestful front-runner before lining up at Sandown and, sent off at 5-6, was quickly in command under Colin Brown and won by eight lengths from I Haventalight with the other eight runners strung out like washing.

Subsequent wins at Ascot and Wincanton (Kingwell Hurdle) led to the flying grey going off at just 7-1 for the Champion Hurdle but he failed to make an impact behind Dawn Run.

Desert Orchid went on to become one of racing’s greatest steeplechasers, landing the King George VI Chase on four occasions plus the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1989.

1990: FOREST SUN. 7 ran. Going: good. SP: 8-11 fav.

The Toby Balding-trained had already shown himself to be a smart performer before lining up in the Tolworth, winning bumpers at Ascot and Sandown in the spring of 1989 before landing novice hurdles at Ascot and Newbury in December of the same year.

He was having his third race in the space of 21 days when returning to Sandown but the five-year-old was sent off an odds-on shot and won like one, quickening to the front at the final flight and winning by six lengths from Atlaal and Tinryland.

Forest Sun extended his winning spree at Kempton in February and then beat 17 rivals in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Not the biggest, he subsequently struggled and won only three more of his 29 races.

1998: FRENCH HOLLY. 8 ran. Going: soft. SP: 4-1.

It was difficult not to notice the 18 hands high French Holly, who showed himself to be a smart bumper performer (sixth to Florida Pearl at Cheltenham in 1997) before being switched to hurdles.

At times the obstacles seemed to get in the way of the giant gelding but, aged seven, he showed what an engine he had in the Tolworth - leading two out under Andrew Thornton and powering 14 lengths clear of Grey Shot, the 7-4 favourite.

French Holly went on to win the Royal & Sunalliance Novices' Hurdle by the same margin and then, the following season, won the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and was third to Istabraq in the Champion Hurdle.

He won on his eagerly awaited chasing debut the next campaign but, tragically, died a week later after a schooling accident at home.

2000: MONSIGNOR. 6 ran. Going: soft. SP 11-8 fav.

Monsignor and Williamson negotiate the final flight at Sandown (Racingfotos)

Monsignor had won the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham the previous season at 50-1 but it was anything but a fluke.

Mark Pitman’s six-year-old began the 1999-2000 season with successive easy wins in novice hurdles at Ascot and, partnered by Norman Williamson, started a well-backed favourite to extend his winning sequence in the Tolworth, even though his rivals included Best Mate, who lined up unbeaten.

The pair dominated, with Monsignor proving the stronger in the closing stages and winning by two and a half lengths. Monsignor easily won his next two races and landed the Royal & Sunalliance Novices' Hurdle by eight lengths.

He looked every inch a future Gold Cup contender but he was subsequently blighted by injuries and never ran again. He became an equine ambassador for ex-racehorse charity Heros and lived to almost 20.

Best Mate went on to finish second in that season’s Supreme Novices Hurdle before going on to win three successive Gold Cups.

2006: NOLAND. 5 ran. Going: soft. SP 6-4 fav.

Noland and Williams take flight over the last in the Tolworth (Racingfotos)

It is fair to say that the Tolworth of 2006 was anything but a vintage edition but it threw up a classy winner in Noland, who confirmed earlier promise by stamping his authority on the race from two out under Christian Williams and winning by five lengths.

The runner-up, Whispered Promises, failed to win in 13 subsequent races, while the third horse home, Albarino, won only once more from 34 subsequent starts.

However, Noland went from strength to strength. He followed up at Exeter the following month and then got up in the final strides of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle - nailing Straw Bear late on with Sublimity, a future Champion Hurdle winner, fourth.

Noland finished third in the Arkle Chase 12 months later and won the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase the following season at the expense of The Listener and War Of Attrition.

2016: YORKHILL. 5 ran. Going: heavy, 4-9 fav.

There had not been an Irish-trained winner of the Tolworth up until 2016 but Yorkhill, trained by Willie Mullins, was all the rage to put the record straight and won convincingly.

Unbeaten when completing in points, bumper races and novice hurdles - plus proven on deep ground - Yorkhill looked to have plenty going for him and was also coasting under Ruby Walsh.

The hot favourite briefly had to be shaken up after the final flight but O O Seven was flattered to get within about two lengths of him.

Yorkhill reappeared more than two months later at Cheltenham, where he won the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the main expense of Yanworth and he returned to win the JLT Chase a year later.

2018 SUMMERVILLE BOY5 ran. Going: soft, 8-1__.

Enjoy plenty of Tolworth Hurdle memories, including Summerville Boy's win five years ago

The Tom George-trained six-year-old lined up as a maiden, albeit he had shown plenty of ability in his previous three races. He was fourth in the betting at 8-1 with the market dominated by Western Ryder (7-4) and Kalashnikov (2-1).

Summerville Boy’s defeats had come in muddling contests and the honest pace of this soft-ground renewal, set by the exuberant Mont Des Avaloirs, played much more to his strengths.

He led two out after being given a stalking ride by Noel Fehily and an error at the last did not prevent him having four lengths to spare over Kalashnikov at the line.

Just over two months later, the protagonists met again in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Summerville Boy (9-1) prevailed again, albeit he had only a neck to spare over Kalashnikov after making late errors.

2022 CONSTITUTION HILL6 ran. Going: heavy, 2-5 fav.

No Tolworth winner has gone on to Champion Hurdle glory, but few would bet against Constitution Hill putting the record straight.

He was a commanding 12-length winner of last year’s renewal, on heavy going, having been a runaway winner on his hurdling debut under similar conditions at Sandown the previous month.

It was very much men against boys as the five-year-old, sent off at 2-5, led on the bridle two out under Nico de Boinville and breezed clear. Jetoile chased him home.

Constitution Hill was then given a breather before lining up in what looked a red-hot Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He turned it into a procession, winning by a jaw-dropping 22 lengths.

And since then, he has remained unbeaten, winning this season’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Christmas Hurdle in such commanding style that he is no bigger than 4-11 to land the Champion Hurdle in March.

He's always in his comfort zone, there's a lot more to come: Nico de Boinville reflects on Constitution Hill's Tolworth romp

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