Analifet aiming to follow Our Conor’s route to Triumph Hurdle glory

Analifit is the first horse to move into single figures for the Triumph Hurdle betting after being cut to 8/1 on Sunday.

The reason for that market move was a near foot-perfect success in the Juvenile 3-Y-O Hurdle at Fairyhouse, a race which was won last season by the subsequent Triumph winner Our Conor.

Whereas Our Conor is in the hands of Dessie Hughes who was winning his first Triumph, Analifet’s trainer Willie Mullins knows what it takes to land the juvenile event having won it in 2002 with Scolardy.

French recruit Analifet was purchased by Gigginstown Stud after she won at Compiegne on her hurdling debut.

The filly was sent off at 1/3 on her Irish debut at Punchestown and made most of the running to win very easily, despite a mistake at the final flight.

Bet on Analifet to win Triumph Hurdle at 8/1

Then on Sunday she was in similarly dominant fashion, again as a very short-priced favourite.

Mullins’ ace was 30/100 and was given another straight-forward ride by Ruby Walsh.

She once again beat her stablemate Noble Inn by over six lengths – despite being 4lbs worse off at the weights.

Mullins believes that the latter horse is a good barometer for measuring her stablemates progress as well as level of form.

He said: “We’ll look towards Leopardstown at Christmas with her now where she’ll probably take on Noble Inn again. He [Noble Inn] is improving with each run.

“I’m delighted with her, she did it in a quick time on good ground and soft ground won’t be a barrier to her either.”

Willie Mullins won the Triumph Hurdle in 2002 with Scolardy

That final sentence will give her supporters added encouragement for antepost bets on the Triumph Hurdle.

Many a Cheltenham Festival wager has been scuppered by a soft-ground loving horse struggling on quicker Spring ground.

However the fact that Analifet is proving herself on varying types of going could make the 8/1 about Mullins’ filly look very big come March.

The last filly to win the Triumph was Francois Doumen’s Snow Drop in 2000

The daughter of Califet will be bidding to become the first filly to win the race since Snow Drop landed the prize in 2000.

Mysilv (1994) and Shawiya (1993) are the two other fillies to win the Triumph and Mullins will be confident of following in their footsteps; fillies receive a 7lb weight allowance in the race.

The race at Leopardstown that Mullins alludes to in those quotes would probably be the Juvenile Hurdle held on day one of the track’s four-day meeting.

The County Carlow trainer won the race last year with the 4/9 favourite Blood Cotil, however it was a contest weakened significantly by the absence of Our Conor due to a bout of coughing.