Cheltenham Festival day four updates: Limerick Lace usurps Dinoblue as Mares' Chase favourite as going returns to heavy in places

Your one-stop shop for Cheltenham Festival news on Friday morning . . .

Morning update: Limerick Lace the big mover as Dinoblue drifts

Limerick Lace has been smashed in the betting for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (4.50) and has overtaken her JP McManus-owned companion Dinoblue as the race's red-hot favourite.

Trained by Gavin Cromwell, the seven-year-old's price has plunged into 6-4, having been a general 100-30 earlier this morning. She has won two of her three starts this campaign, including by ten lengths at Doncaster last time. 

Cromwell and McManus have already teamed up for glory at this year's Cheltenham Festival, when Inothewayurthinkin stormed to Kim Muir success yesterday.

Dinoblue, a Grade 1 winner at Leopardstown over Christmas, had been the ante-post favourite for the Grade 2. She was as short as 5-4 this morning, but has been notably weak, drifting out to 9-4.

The duo will bid to give McManus his third win in a row in the Mares' Chase. The only running he has not won was when Colreevy landed the inaugural contest in 2021.

Updated at 11am

Morning update: Majborough weak in Triumph market

Willie Mullins' Triumph Hurdle (1.30) pack has dramatically shuffled in the betting with Majborough losing favouritism, while Bunting has been well backed.

Mullins saddles seven of the 12 runners in the Grade 1 and Majborough had been the overnight market leader at 7-2. However, he has been weak this morning and is now a 5-1 chance, with his stablemate Storm Heart heading the betting at 7-2.

The trainer's supposed fourth string, Bunting, has been one of the most popular horses this morning. He has shortened into 7-1, having been a double-figure price overnight and as big as 12-1 with bet365 yesterday.

Majborough, Bunting, Storm Heart and Kargese all clashed in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown last month and occupied the first four places. The latter came out on top by a length and a quarter.

Updated at 10am

Morning update: Money for Moore's stars

Both of Gary Moore's mud-loving stars are being backed on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival, with the ground now heavy in places following overnight rain.

Moore's Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30) runner Nassalam has thrived in testing conditions recently and was a dominant 34-length winner of the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow over Christmas on heavy ground.

Six of his seven career wins have come on soft or heavy ground and he is now 16-1 for the Gold Cup, having been 33-1 overnight. Last year's winner Galopin Des Champs remains the even-money favourite.

Cheltenham racegoers wait at the gates for Gold Cup dayCredit: Patrick McCann

Two-time Gold Cup-winning jockey Richard Johnson, who was the last British rider to win the contest, is taking on Galopin Des Champs and thinks Britain could be in line for glory with the Venetia Williams-trained L'Homme Presse. He is currently an 11-1 chance.

On the Racing Post's Good Morning Cheltenham show, Johnson said: "I think he’ll run a really big race. When he won here two years ago he looked very good. He had a small injury after the 2022 King George but I think he’s the one horse in the race we don’t still know how good he is. He’ll love the ground and he’s the one of the British horses I would want to be with. 

"It’s a much more open race than everyone saying Galopin Des Champs is almost a certainty. I can’t have Bravemansgame, I think he’ll struggle to stay on the ground as well. Gerri Colombe has been kept fresh and will enjoy the conditions. There’s lots of pace in the race so it’s going to be a real slog and if L’Homme Presse is absolutely 100 per cent, he might give them all to do."

Gary Moore is also represented by exciting juvenile Salver in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30), who has been backed into 8-1. He was a 10-1 chance overnight.

Salver has also thrived in testing ground, winning the Grade 2 Finale Juvenile Hurdle on soft before winning his final run before Cheltenham at Haydock on heavy going.

Market Movers:

1.30: 1. Bunting 7-1 (from 10), 5 Majborough 5-1 (from 7-2), 10. Salver 8-1 (from 10)
3.30: 11. Nassalam 16-1 (from 33)
4.50: 8. Limerick Lace 6-4 (from 100-30)

Updated at 11am

Rain turns ground heavy in places

Heavy has come back into the going for the fourth and final day of this year's Cheltenham Festival and more showers could hit through the day.

The ground was soft on the New course for Stayers' Hurdle day, but 9mm of rain on Thursday and overnight has eased the ground to soft, heavy in places on the chase course and heavy all over on the hurdles track.

The track had been expecting 2-3mm of rain overnight and more rain could hit during racing today.

Speaking at around 7.45am, Pullin said: "We've had 9mm of rain during racing yesterday and overnight, so now we've had to update the going to heavy on the hurdles course, and soft, heavy in places on the chase track.

"We're celebrating 100 years of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and we're looking forward to hopefully a great running today."

There are a host non-runners for the final day of the festival. Nicky Henderson was forced to pull leading Triumph Hurdle (1.30) hope Sir Gino and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (2.50) fancy Shanagh Bob, while Hewick is also among the absentees in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30).

An early morning absentee is the Gary Moore-trained Peking Opera, who is out of the Triumph on account of the ground. Currently, five have been scratched from the County Hurdle (2.10), including Gin Coco, Aucunrisque and Encanto Bruno.

Another notable non-runner in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (4.50) is Brides Hill due to the going. Her trainer Gavin Cromwell will still be represented leading hope Limerick Lace.

The wet weather this week has also meant Cheltenham is not accepting car parking sales on the day.

A statement issued by the track last night said: "Due to rain and recent adverse weather conditions, our car parks are extremely wet. If your are coming racing, we will not be accepting any on the day car parking sales.

"We strongly advise that you consider alternative transport to the racecourse."

Elsewhere, Ffos Las's Gold Cup day meeting has been cancelled after the track failed its morning inspection.

Officials were set to assess conditions at 8am, but a further 5mm of rain overnight has left the course with standing water in places.

It means Fakenham will be the only other jumps card on Friday, with evening all-weather action from Dundalk, Newcastle and Wolverhampton.

Updated at 7.45am

Non-runners: day four absentees

1.30: 8. Peking Opera (Going), 11. Sir Gino (Self Cert)
2.10: 4. Encanto Bruno (Going), 5. Hansard (Vets Cert), 11. Aucunrisque (Going), 12. Gin Coco (Going), 17. Parramount (Going), 23. Rare Middleton (Lame)
2.50: 1. Butcher Hollow (Going), 12. Shanagh Bob (Self Cert)
3.30: 7. Hewick (Going)
4.50: 4. Brides Hill (Going)
5.30: 16. Teddy Blue (Going), 20. Thanksforthehelp (Self Cert)

Updated at 12.30am

Going update: ground gets heavy

Going: chase – soft, heavy in places, hurdles – heavy

Weather: 9mm during racing yesterday and overnight. Showers possible throughout the day. 

Updated at 7am

Read our day four Cheltenham previews:

Willie Mullins saddles more than half the field but which is the stable first string? 

Can Dan Skelton land another County Hurdle? Key quotes for the big final day handicap 

Can Captain Teague step up in trip and repel powerful Willie Mullins contingent in Grade 1 Albert Bartlett? 

Galopin Des Champs goes for a famous Gold Cup double - but what does Willie Mullins make of his chances? 

'He's better and stronger now' - last year's runner-up Its On The Line bids to go one better in Hunter Chase 

Dinoblue has the stamp of a champion and sets a high bar in much-maligned Mares' Chase 

'We have a nice team for this' - Better Days Ahead leads Gordon Elliott's seven-strong squad in Martin Pipe 

Do you want £1,000+ in free bets for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.