King points Tritonic at Cheltenham after hurdles switch

Tritonic can cement his place as the leading British challenger for the JCB Triumph Hurdle in three weeks’ time by following a welltrodden path to Cheltenham via today’s Close Brothers Adonis Hurdle at Kempton.

Alan King, who is now Britain’s top dual-purpose trainer (following his three Royal Ascot winners last June) was more jump-orientated when he won the Triumph with Penzance (2005) and Katchit (2007).

In theory, however, the benefit of training some serious Flat horses is a steady production line of smart juvenile hurdlers coming through the ranks – indeed Trueshan proved a bit too good to go jumping.

But having won the Haynes, Hanson and Clark as a two-year-old, Tritonic looked like he might be bordering on Classic standard and, though he plateaued before reaching that level, he was beaten only half a length by Highland Chief, who went on to contest the Derby, at Royal Ascot.

Nevertheless, having been rated 99 on the Flat, Tritonic looks the pick of all the Flat horses to have switched codes this winter.

Sire De Grugy is probably the most distinguished winner of the

Dovecote Novice Hurdle in recent years but Paul Nicholls’s Atholl Street has done nothing wrong in two outings at Taunton. This is a big step up in class and while he is unlikely to give Appreciate It a sleepness night he could be a lot shorter than 33-1 for the Festival opener after today.

Christian Williams’s Grand National hope Cap Du Nord, the only horse to have remotely troubled Royale Pagaille this season – at this track at Christmas – looks the one to beat.

The Levy Board announced yesterday that it would continue to underpin prize-money, allocating £20.1 million for May and June.