Cheltenham Festival Market Movers | French and Irish raiders stake their claims
10 Feb 2025
After the feast of top-class action at last weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival, Sir Gino’s unfortunate late absence from Saturday’s Game Spirit Chase meant this weekend arguably lost its headline act before a race was run.
With the Arkle favourite not leaving his box, it was left to L’Eau Du Sud to put down his marker for the Festival contest when he lined up in Warwick’s Kingmaker Novices’ Chase. Dan Skelton’s charge was long odds-on to land the Grade 2 prize, and while he did make it four out of four over fences, his one length defeat of Rubaud was rather underwhelming. As a result, he was initially left unchanged as 9/1 third favourite for the Arkle, but following the hugely disappointing news on Monday that Sir Gino’s injury was worse than first thought, and he will miss the remainder of this season, L’eau Du Sud was cut to 5/1 second favourite, with Majborough the new 8/15 Arkle favourite.
Sir Gino had been 1/2 favourite for the Game Spirit, without him Matata was sent off the 11/8 market leader at Newbury, but in the event, it was his Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained stablemate, Master Chewy, who landed the spoils. He was the 11/1 outsider for the race, and although this victory came over two miles, his trainer suggested the longer Ryanair Chase could suit him at Cheltenham, for which he’s a 33/1 chance.
The other Grade 2 prize at the Berkshire track was the Denman Chase. Djelo was a well-backed 6/4 favourite to score over three miles for the first time, and he justified that support in style. He’ll be back down in trip at the Festival, with the Ryanair Chase his target also, and he’s 10/1, from 20/1, for that one.
Naas hosted the Irish action on Saturday, and two winners at the Kildare track to note with Cheltenham in mind were Dinoblue, who has overtaken Bioluminescence at the head of the Mares’ Chase betting, the pair 7/2 and 4/1 respectively, and Eternal Echo, given a 16/1 quote for next month’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Another Irish-trained contender for the Mares’ Chase is Only By Night, and the Gavin Cromwell-trained 7-y-o was clipped into 6/1, from 8/1, for the race after her Listed success at Exeter on Sunday. Also successful at the west country venue was Fingle Bridge, and Sean Bowen’s mount could be a lively outsider for the Turners Novices’ Chase at 20/1, from 40/1, if the ground came up very testing at Prestbury Park, although Aintree is more likely to be next for Olly Murphy’s charge.
Better Days Ahead made hard work of beating stablemate, Stellar Story, in Navan’s feature novice chase on Sunday, and as a result was left unchanged at 10/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. The runner-up emerged with plenty of credit and was cut to 16/1, from 33/1, for the same Cheltenham race. Finally, could the crowd at Pau racecourse in south-west France, have witnessed a Cheltenham Festival winner in waiting on Sunday? Hip Hop Conti is a cross-country star on home soil, and if connections do choose to send him to the Cotswolds next month, he would be a leading contender for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, as odds of 8/1, from 12/1, confirm.
Market movers from the weekend with Coral
L'eau Du Sud for the Arkle – 5/1 (from 9/1)
Master Chewy for the Ryanair Chase – 33/1 (from 50/1)
Djelo for the Ryanair Chase – 10/1 (from 20/1)
Dinoblue for the Mares' Chase – 7/2 (from 5/1)
Eternal Echo for the Champion Bumper – 16/1 (new entry)
Only By Night for the Mares' Chase – 6/1 (from 10/1)
Fingle Bridge for the Turners Novices' Hurdle – 20/1 (from 40/1)
Stellar Story for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase – 16/1 (from 33/1)
Hip Hop Conti for the Cross Country Chase – 8/1 (from 12/1)
LATEST CHELTENHAM ANTE POST BETTING
With the Arkle favourite not leaving his box, it was left to L’Eau Du Sud to put down his marker for the Festival contest when he lined up in Warwick’s Kingmaker Novices’ Chase. Dan Skelton’s charge was long odds-on to land the Grade 2 prize, and while he did make it four out of four over fences, his one length defeat of Rubaud was rather underwhelming. As a result, he was initially left unchanged as 9/1 third favourite for the Arkle, but following the hugely disappointing news on Monday that Sir Gino’s injury was worse than first thought, and he will miss the remainder of this season, L’eau Du Sud was cut to 5/1 second favourite, with Majborough the new 8/15 Arkle favourite.
Sir Gino had been 1/2 favourite for the Game Spirit, without him Matata was sent off the 11/8 market leader at Newbury, but in the event, it was his Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained stablemate, Master Chewy, who landed the spoils. He was the 11/1 outsider for the race, and although this victory came over two miles, his trainer suggested the longer Ryanair Chase could suit him at Cheltenham, for which he’s a 33/1 chance.
The other Grade 2 prize at the Berkshire track was the Denman Chase. Djelo was a well-backed 6/4 favourite to score over three miles for the first time, and he justified that support in style. He’ll be back down in trip at the Festival, with the Ryanair Chase his target also, and he’s 10/1, from 20/1, for that one.
Naas hosted the Irish action on Saturday, and two winners at the Kildare track to note with Cheltenham in mind were Dinoblue, who has overtaken Bioluminescence at the head of the Mares’ Chase betting, the pair 7/2 and 4/1 respectively, and Eternal Echo, given a 16/1 quote for next month’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Another Irish-trained contender for the Mares’ Chase is Only By Night, and the Gavin Cromwell-trained 7-y-o was clipped into 6/1, from 8/1, for the race after her Listed success at Exeter on Sunday. Also successful at the west country venue was Fingle Bridge, and Sean Bowen’s mount could be a lively outsider for the Turners Novices’ Chase at 20/1, from 40/1, if the ground came up very testing at Prestbury Park, although Aintree is more likely to be next for Olly Murphy’s charge.
Better Days Ahead made hard work of beating stablemate, Stellar Story, in Navan’s feature novice chase on Sunday, and as a result was left unchanged at 10/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. The runner-up emerged with plenty of credit and was cut to 16/1, from 33/1, for the same Cheltenham race. Finally, could the crowd at Pau racecourse in south-west France, have witnessed a Cheltenham Festival winner in waiting on Sunday? Hip Hop Conti is a cross-country star on home soil, and if connections do choose to send him to the Cotswolds next month, he would be a leading contender for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, as odds of 8/1, from 12/1, confirm.
Market movers from the weekend with Coral
L'eau Du Sud for the Arkle – 5/1 (from 9/1)
Master Chewy for the Ryanair Chase – 33/1 (from 50/1)
Djelo for the Ryanair Chase – 10/1 (from 20/1)
Dinoblue for the Mares' Chase – 7/2 (from 5/1)
Eternal Echo for the Champion Bumper – 16/1 (new entry)
Only By Night for the Mares' Chase – 6/1 (from 10/1)
Fingle Bridge for the Turners Novices' Hurdle – 20/1 (from 40/1)
Stellar Story for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase – 16/1 (from 33/1)
Hip Hop Conti for the Cross Country Chase – 8/1 (from 12/1)
LATEST CHELTENHAM ANTE POST BETTING
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