Cheltenham countdown: Ivanovich Gorbatov looks well placed in Triumph Hurdle

The last couple of weeks will, doubtless, have encouraged connections and supporters of Triumph Hurdle favourite Ivanovich Gorbatov, whose sole outing over hurdles to date looks better with each passing juvenile event.

His starts on the Flat may have numbered just three but, from those limited opportunities, he reached a mark of 105.

On his hurdling debut, the son of Montjeu and Northern Gulch showed himself to be a natural jumper, with the potential to reach the very top, a notion strengthened by the subsequent performances of the vanquished.