Triolo D'alene: Henderson trained second season chaser

[Sprinter]

Paddy Power Gold Cup mover.

Barry Geraghty before Centenary novice at 2012 Cheltenham Festival

It’s always an extremely dangerous thing to say that any horse is a handicap good thing so I won’t say it about TRIOLO D'ALENE in the Pulteney Land Investments Novices Handicap Chase (5.15) over two and a half miles.

What I will say is that the handicapper has given him an extremely good chance, something that Nicky Henderson recognised after he got a mark of 136 after winning his British debut off 127 at Ascot in January and then put him by to guard it for this race.

I’m in a privileged position because I won on the top weight, Hunt Ball, at Kempton last time. He did that really nicely and the weights are compressed so although he’s got 12st there’s only a 10lb weight range top to bottom.

But he has only been winning average races and the handicapper whacked him up 15lb for Kempton and it’s possible that time might show that he was attempting a very difficult task in giving my mount 7lb.

It’s worth remembering that Triolo D’Alene made a couple of novicey mistakes at Ascot and I blame myself because I shouldn’t have been asking him to come up on his British debut and instead just let him find his feet.

I schooled him two weeks ago and he was very good so I’m thinking that a better round of jumping this time will bring more improvement from Ascot.

Nicky Henderson Stable Tour


[QUOTE]

[TRIOLO D'ALENE
Track Triolo D'alene View form
5-y-o; chestnut gelding
Breeding: Epalo (GER) - Joliette D'alene (FR)
Trained by N J Henderson
Form: 541110-2
Ascot novice handicap chase winner before disappointing off 9lb higher mark at Cheltenham then finishing second off same rating of 136 at Market Rasen in May. “I’ve always liked him and he’ll be a much better horse this season for a wind operation that was stopping him.”/QUOTE]

[Sefton]

Gallops Reporter

TRIOLO D'ALENE has been a springer in the Paddy Power Gold Cup market and he looked in good shape in his latest stretch on turf.

The lightly-raced five-year-old is thought to have benefited from a wind operation in the close season.

[Old Vic]

Barrys Blog. Dont give up on TDA yet ...

It was a shame that it didn’t work out for TRIOLO D’ALENE in the Paddy Power Gold Cup but it was just of case of the ground being too sticky for him.

We winged the first three with everything going great until we got onto the racecourse-proper at the fourth which he missed. From there on he was getting stuck so I tried pulling wide at the water jump down the back straight and thought we might get back but it didn’t happen.

[Old Vic]

2013 Hennessy

[Yeehaa]

Given a gold cup entry and might run in Argento if RP has it right Already rated 158.

[Old Vic]

Triolo D'Alene 2014 Antepost Odds as at 08/01/2014 BetVictor Odds are NRFB Bet365 NRNB on Gold Cup
Gold Cup	28/1	40/1	33/1	33/1
Grand National	20/1	20/1	20/1	20/1

[Sefton]

Triolo D'Alene (FR) 7-11-06

Breeding: Epalo (GER) - Joliette DŽAlene (FR) (Garde Royale)

Breeder: Louis Couteaudier

Born: May 8, 2007

Owner: Sandy & Caroline Orr

Trainer: Nicky Henderson
Form: 4541110/2P381-1310



*Won twice over fences in France for trainer Marcel Rolland before being sold privately in December, 2011.

*Joined Nicky Henderson in January, 2012, and instantly gave a return on investment for new owners, the Orrs, when winning a novices' handicap chase at Ascot.

*Disappointed in 11th behind Hunt Ball when fancied for the 2012 Rewards4Racing Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and was also pulled up behind Al Ferof in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at the same course in November, 2012.

*Hit the limelight in April, 2013, when running out the ready winner of the Crabbie's Topham Chase over the famous Grand National fences at Aintree and two miles, five and a half furlongs.

*Confirmed himself a leading contender for the Crabbie's Grand National when winning the Hennessy Gold Cup over an extended three and a quarter miles by two and three quarter lengths from Rocky Creek at Newbury on November 30.

*Did not run during the deep winter months because of soft ground and warmed up for the Grand National with 10th in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 14.

*Bidding to become the first Hennessy winner to win the Grand National.

Jump race record: Starts: 16; Wins: 6; 2nd: 1; 3rd 2; Win & Place Prize Money: £230,296



Sandy & Caroline Orr

Sandy Orr - Born: Oban in June, 1939 Background: Educated at Loretto School in Musselburgh, he studied arts and law at Edinburgh University, where he captained the cricket team. Has homes in Perthshire, Edinburgh and Chelsea. He received an OBE in the 2006 Birthday Honours for services to hospitality. His hobbies include cricket, yachting and the arts. Orr is a solicitor who has served as a director and investor in a myriad of different companies in sectors including hotels, restaurants, breweries, banks, radio, property, nursing homes and finance. He qualified as solicitor in 1962 and spent first 13 years working in Oban as senior partner in MacArthur, Stewart & Orr, where his work included acting for leisure clients. In 1983, he joined forces with financier Donald MacDonald and began his involvement in hotels and leisure facilities, via MacDonald Orr, initially raising funds for the likes of SECC and the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh. With son David and McDonald, he started City Inn Hotels in 1995 which became Mint Hotels in 2010. The company was sold to Hilton Hotels for £600 million in September, 2011. He has been a director of Caledonian Bank since 1992. He is the founding director of Macdonald Hotels and Edinburgh's Caledonian Brewery. He was also the chairman of Scottish Opera between 1992 and 1999, the chairman of Radio Forth between 1989 and 1997, a non-executive independent director of Scottish Radio Holdings PLC between 1991 and 2005, and chairman of Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith between 2002 and 2012. He is also a former director of the Scottish Arts Council and a founder of Edinburgh Festival Theatre. He has also been a donor to the Scottish National Party. Racing interests: From 2004, the Orrs had horses with Len Lungo but following that trainer's retirement, they were sent to Nicky Henderson. Their good horses include hurdler Shernando and Triolo D'Alene who won the 2013 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.



Nicky Henderson (Lambourn, Berkshire)

Born: Lambeth, London, on December 10, 1950 Background: Henderson is the son of financier and amateur jockey John Henderson MBE, who founded Racecourse Holdings Trust, the forerunner for Jockey Club Racecourses. Nicky, who had Field Marshal Montgomery as a godfather, was educated at Eton and the Royal Agricultural College. He worked for stockbrokers Cazenove in London and Australia, where he gained experience riding work at Randwick, before devoting himself full-time to racing. First made his name in Britain as an amateur rider, finishing runner-up three times in the non-professional championship. His main wins as a jockey came on Happy Warrior in the 1977 Fox Hunters Chase at Aintree and on Acquaint in Sandown's Imperial Cup in the same year. Recorded his 78th and final win on Rolls Rambler in the Horse & Hound Cup at Stratford in June, 1978. He became assistant trainer to Fred Winter in 1974 and received his own training licence in July, 1978, taking over from Roger Charlton at Windsor House Stables in Lambourn. Moved to Seven Barrows, to the north of the village, in 1992. First winner as a trainer was Dukery at Uttoxeter, October 14, 1978. Achievements: Has won the Jump trainers' championship three times; in 1985/86, 1986/87 and 2012/2013, and is the most successful handler in history at the Cheltenham Festival, sending out 51 winners. Major wins include: Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup (2011 Long Run, 2013 Bobs Worth), BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase (1992 Remittance Man, 2012 Finian's Rainbow, 2013 Sprinter Sacre), Ladbrokes World Hurdle (1989 Rustle, 2000 Bacchanal), Stan James Champion Hurdle (1985, 1986 & 1987 See You Then, 2009 Punjabi, 2010 Binocular) Crabbie's Grand National Record: 1979 Zongalero (2nd);1980 Zongalero (Refused 20th); 1981 Zongalero (Fell 22nd); 1982 Sun Lion (Fell 3rd); 1983 Spartan Missile (Unseated 22nd); 1984 Spartan Missile (16th); 1985 Classified (5th); 1986 Classified (3rd), The Tsarevich (7th); 1987 The Tsarevich (2nd), Classified (UR 25th); 1988 The Tsarevich (7th); 1990 Brown Windsor (4th), 1991 Ten Of Spades (14th), 1991 Master Bob (PU bef 19th); 1992 Brown Windsor (Fell 6th); 1994 Henry Mann (Fell 1st); 1995 Tinryland (Fell 1st); 1998 Pashto (Fell 1st); 1999 Fiddling The Facts (Fell 22nd); 2000 Esprit De Cotte (Fell 22nd); 2001 Esprit De Cotte (UR 11th), 2002 Marlborough (Fell 1st), Goguenard (Fell 1st), 2003 Katarino (UR 15th); 2005 Fondmort (PU 28th); 2006 Juveigneur (Fell 1st), Iris Royal (PU bef 17th), 2007 Liberthine (5th); 2009 Golden Flight (Fell 1st); Fleet Street (UR 18th); 2012 Shakalakaboomboom (9th); 2013 Roberto Goldback (UR last)

[mayo]

Doon spotted the same thing we did



Triolo D’Alene put up a taking performance to finish third behind Unioniste and Bertie Boru in the three-mile handicap chase at Sandown on Saturday.

Nicky Henderson’s horse was settled at the rear of the field by Barry Geraghty through the early stages of the race, literally last of the 11 runners as Relax stretched the field out from the front. He was also taken to the outside at every opportunity, which made sense for a horse for whom Saturday’s soft ground should have been far softer than ideal.

A mistake at the fence past the stands did not help and he was still stone last as they started down the back straight. He started to make progress from there, however. Staying well towards the outside, he had passed four of his rivals by the time he jumped the first of the Railway Fences. Still fully 16 lengths behind the leaders, he wasn’t completely fluent at the last two Railway Fences, but he continued to make progress under his motionless rider out of the back straight. He was seventh and just about 10 lengths behind the leaders at the Pond fence, he passed Vino Griego on the run to the second last, jumped that fence in sixth place, about six lengths behind the leader, and stayed on well from there over the last and up the run-in. The winner Unioniste had gone, but the Epalo gelding passed three horses on the run-in to take third place.

This was much more like it from Triolo D’Alene. The ground should have been far too soft for him, and he was weak in the betting beforehand, so it is reasonable to expect that he can improve significantly on this run now. He hasn’t won since he won the Hennessy at Newbury in November 2013. In fairness to the horse, he had only raced three times in the interim before Saturday, but all three runs had been disappointing. He finished just 10th of 13 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last March, and he was pulled up in his other two races, in last season’s Grand National and in this season’s Hennessy. You can forgive him all three runs, however. Cheltenham is not his track, he is at his best on flat tracks; you can easily forgive a seven-year-old a poor run in the Grand National; and the ground was far too soft for him in the Hennessy last November.

The handicapper has dropped him back to a mark of 154 now, just 7lb higher than the mark off which he won the Hennessy, and that makes him interesting now. He will always be of interest on good ground on a flat track with the emphasis on stamina, so he is shaping like a Grand National horse. Add to that the fact that he won the Topham Chase in 2013, so we know that he can handle the unusual fences, and the case for him becomes more compelling. The main worry about him in the context of the Grand National concerns his age. Bindaree is still the last horse aged eight or younger to win the National, and Bindaree was 2002. The last five winners have been 10 or 11.

It may be that Triolo D’Alene’s Grand National challenge will be more compelling next year or even the year after. In the meantime, he will be of interest when he next races on a flat track on good-ish ground.

3rd January 2014

[Old Vic]

Nicky FFS

Triolo D'Alene is "unlikely" to run in the Crabbie's Grand National at Aintree on April 11.
Nicky Henderson's staying chaser is suffering with a knee problem and may not be able to prove his well-being in time for the great race on Merseyside.
The 2013 Hennessy winner had looked to have returned to somewhere near his best form when he finished third behind Unioniste in an extended three-mile handicap chase at Sandown on January 3.
Henderson said: "It is very boring, unfortunately, as he ran such a good race at Sandown last time.
"We have a back-up X-ray in two weeks and that will tell us where we are going with him.
"The one thing we had in our mind was the Grand National, but I'd say at this stage that is probably unlikely."