Soldier jumps them into the ground en route to Cheltenham

If you were to think of an ideal profile for a likely Triumph Hurdle winner, you would probably take a useful performer on the Flat who stays a mile and a half well and loves jumping.

Step forward Soldier In Action, who has that profile and, following his win in the juvenile hurdle, he will now bid to give trainer Nicky Henderson his seventh winner in the JCB-sponsored event at Cheltenham next month.

He was a progressive sort on the Flat for Mark Johnston last year, reaching a peak rating of 105, and he confirmed the promise he had shown on his jumps debut at Musselburgh with a convincing 14-length success under Nico de Boinville having barely touched a hurdle.