'He's an absolute machine' - last week's major Cheltenham Festival market movers and drifters
Find out all of last week's major movers and shakers in the ante-post markets for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival . . .
Burdett Road
Race: Triumph Hurdle
Odds: 12-1 (from 100-30)
James Owen's stable star had long been the favourite for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, but a wide-margin defeat in the trial race on Saturday has seen him significantly drift.
Owned by the Gredley family, the four-year-old tasted defeat for the first time over hurdles when he finished ten lengths behind Sir Gino, who unsurprisingly moved to the head of the Triumph betting.
The Triumph Hurdle in six weeks' time is still the plan for Burdett Road, but the Royal Ascot winner will have to find plenty if he is to reverse the form with the new ante-post favourite.
Betfair: 6-4 Sir Gino, 6 Storm Heart, 8 Bunting, 12 Burdett Road, Highwind, Kargese, 14 Salvator Mundi, Kala Conti, Majborough, Salver, 16 Kalif Du Berlais, Nurburgring, 18 bar
Sir Gino
Race: Triumph Hurdle
Odds: 6-4 (from 4)
Nicky Henderson looks to have another extremely talented juvenile in his ranks as Sir Gino extended his unbeaten record to three.
The four-year-old, who sports the familiar colours of owners Joe and Marie Donnelly, followed up last month's 18-length success at Kempton with a scintillating victory.
Henderson has won the Triumph a record seven times and he rather cautiously said: "We've all been quite bullish about him but rather reluctant to say too much in case we end up with egg on our face, although he's pretty smart."
Harry Cobden, rider of runner-up Burdett Road, had no such qualms about talking up the winner. "That's a machine, an absolute machine," he said. "My horse is rated 101 on the Flat but he sprinted away from us. I would be surprised if he doesn't win the Triumph."
Betfair: 6-4 Sir Gino, 6 Storm Heart, 8 Bunting, 12 Burdett Road, Highwind, Kargese, 14 Salvator Mundi, Kala Conti, Majborough, Salver, 16 Kalif Du Berlais, Nurburgring, 18 bar
Ginny's Destiny
Race: Turners Novices' Chase
Odds: 6-1 (from 18)
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has said Ginny's Destiny will follow the same route as stablemate Stage Star did last year by heading to the Turners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham after his career-best effort on Saturday.
The eight-year-old secured a third successive win at Cheltenham when beating Theatre Man by two and three-quarters of a length. Nicholls said: "His work has been amazing and we'll come back here now for the Turners. He's every bit as good as Stage Star."
Turners Novices' Chase (March 14)
William Hill: 8-11 Gaelic Warrior, 7-4 Il Est Francais, 5-1 Fact To File, 6 Ginny's Destiny, Iroko, 7 Facile Vega, Grey Dawning, Grangeclare West, 8 Found A Fifty, 10 Corbetts Cross, Hermes Allen, 12 bar
Jeriko Du Reponet
Race: Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Odds: 8-1 (from 5)
Jeriko Du Reponet stretched his winning run for Nicky Henderson to three at Doncaster on Saturday, but most firms were not impressed with five-year-old's success and subsequently eased him for the Supreme in March.
The JP McManus-owned point-to-point winner, who won twice at Newbury before getting the better of Lump Sum at Doncaster, drifted for the opening race of the festival and can now be backed at odds between 6s and 8s.
Jockey Mark Walsh felt the race wasn't run to suit Jeriko Du Reponet. He said: "We went too slow and it turned into a sprint. We went no gallop early, which didn't suit him. He didn't jump great early, they were going too slow."
Supreme Novices' Hurdle (March 12)
Sky Bet: 5-2 Mystical Power, Ballyburn, 6 Jeriko Du Reponet, 10 Farren Glory, Caldwell Potter, Firefox, 12 Mirazur West, No Flies On Him, Ile Atlantique, 14 bar
Capodanno
Race: Ryanair Chase
Odds: 10-1 (from 20)
The Willie Mullins-trained Capodanno justified strong support on the day to powerfully land the Cotswold Chase, resulting in firms significantly cutting him for the Ryanair Chase, his only festival entry.
The eight-year-old, who was sent off at 7-2 having been available at 15-2 on Friday, denied The Real Whacker to record his fifth success in the 3m1½f Grade 2.
bet365: 3-1 Banbridge, 9-2 Stage Star, Envoi Allen, 6-1 Jonbon, 12 Capodanno, 14 Classic Getaway, Appreciate It, 20 Edwardstone, 22 bar
Ashroe Diamond
Race: Mares' Hurdle
Odds: 4-1 (from 7)
Ashroe Diamond introduced herself as a serious contender for the Mares' Hurdle with a smart victory in the Grade 2 Yorkshire Rose Hurdle at Doncaster on Saturday.
The Mullins-trained seven-year-old beat Under Control by two and a half lengths to make it three wins in her last four starts. Her rider Patrick Mullins believes she could be a stayer in time, but said the Mares' Hurdle is her target in March.
He said: "She jumped great. Her pedigree suggests she can go further but it's two and a half miles in the mares' race in March and that will be no problem to her."
Coral: 4-6 Lossiemouth, 4-1 Ashroe Diamond, 8 Gala Marceau, 12 Echoes In Rain, West Balboa, 14 Jetara, Love Envoi, Luccia, 16 bar
Lossiemouth
Race: Mares' Hurdle
Odds: 10-11 (from 15-8)
Lossiemouth strengthened at the top of the betting for the Mares' Hurdle after an eyecatching performance when defeating Love Envoi in the Unibet Hurdle by nine and a half lengths at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The five-year-old has now won five of her six starts since joining Mullins in 2022, with her sole defeat coming in last season's Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. She bounced back in the Triumph Hurdle at the festival in March on her next start.
Winning owner Rich Ricci said: "We’ll go for the Mares' Hurdle, I think. We learned last season [with Vauban] that it’s very hard for the four-year-olds going on five to run in open company."
Coral: 4-6 Lossiemouth, 4-1 Ashroe Diamond, 8 Gala Marceau, 12 Echoes In Rain, West Balboa, 14 Jetara, Love Envoi, Luccia, 16 bar
Noble Yeats
Race: Stayers' Hurdle
Odds: 10-1 (from 16)
Harry Cobden guided Noble Yeats to victory on his first ride aboard the Grand National winner when the pair denied Paisley Park in a thrilling Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Trials day.
The nine-year-old, who is trained by Emmet Mullins, is not short of stamina having won the Aintree showpiece in 2022 and owner Robert Waley-Cohen has no doubts Noble Yeats can handle three miles at the festival in March.
He said: "I thought we’d stay better than anybody. He’s won over four and a quarter miles at Aintree so I think we can do it over three miles at Cheltenham. He was fourth turning in, but he flew up that hill."
Ladbrokes: 4-1 Teahupoo, Irish Point, 7 Crambo, 8 Impaire Et Passe, 12 Noble Yeats, Sir Gerhard, 16 Paisley Park, 20 bar
Embassy Gardens
Race: National Hunt Chase
Odds: 11-4 (from 7)
Embassy Gardens continued his progress for Mullins when recording a ten-length success in a Grade 3 at Naas on Sunday, prompting bookmakers to make him favourite for the National Hunt Chase.
The eight-year-old has now won both of his starts over fences by a combined 23 lengths and Mullins believes he has the stamina for the staying distances.
Mullins said: "He stays and he's learned to settle from jumping fences. I think he can keep improving. He looks a natural for one of the staying novice chases at Cheltenham and nearer the time we'll decide which one."
National Hunt Chase (March 12)
Paddy Power: 11-4 Embassy Gardens, 3-1 Grangeclare West, 4 Stay Away Fay, 5 Meetingofthewaters, Nick Rockett, 6 Corbetts Cross, Flooring Porter, 7 Minella Cocooner, 9 bar
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Published on inCheltenham Festival
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