Setback forces exciting French Aseel out of Triumph Hurdle

Leading JCB Triumph Hurdle contender French Aseel is to miss the Cheltenham Festival.

The four-year-old was around a 7-1 chance for the Grade 1 on the final day of the meeting, having joined Willie Mullins after winning by 22 lengths on his hurdles debut at Leopardstown in December for Ellmarie Holden.

French Aseel was the shortest priced of Mullins' six entries in the Triumph, a market headed by 9-4 chance Tritonic.

Triumph Hurdle entries

Mullins posted on his website: "French Aseel has met with a setback and unfortunately won’t be running in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham."

Mullins has won the Triumph twice in his career, most recently with Burning Victory in 2020.

According to the betting, the trainer's best chance is now Haut En Couleurs, who, like French Aseel, is owned by Joe Donnelly.

The Alan King-trained Tritonic assumed favouritism for the Triumph after his impressive ten-length win in the Grade 2 Adonis at Kempton last month.

Big-race assessment

It is a shame we will not get to see French Aseel as he was very much the unknown quantity in the race, especially given his connections and how impressively he won on his only start over hurdles.

Favourite Tritonic has gone from strength to strength – last week's win was a career-best - and connections have always said Cheltenham would suit him well.

There are doubts about how a stable move will impact Quilixios – but on form he warrants plenty of respect.

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