Cheltenham Festival news: Teeshan slashed for Champion Bumper glory

Paul Nicholls introduced the three-mile point-to-point scorer in the Trustatrader Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race and he was sent off the 10/11 favourite under title-seeking jockey Harry Cobden.

Cobden was always sitting comfortably on the five-year-old, who sports the pink and blue colours of owner Johnny de la Hey, and he only had to keep him focussed to prevail by seven lengths from Peavenik.

Teeshan was cut to 6/1 from 14/1 for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham by Betfair and helped Cobden to draw level with Sean Bowen in the title race on 121 winners for the season.

Cant' touch this...

Meanwhile at Navan, Cantico made light work of the William Hill Bet10Get5 On Irish Racing INH Flat Race for Willie Mullins and his son Patrick to earn quotes of 12/1 for the same Cheltenham Festival race.

The five-year-old won his sole point to point start and was third on his bumper debut when contesting a Leopardstown event on Boxing Day.

He was the favourite on that occasion and headed the market again at Navan, starting at 4/11 and securing a six-length victory in the yellow and brown silks also worn by Galopin Des Champs.

“We were disappointed to get beaten at Christmas and I think he improved from it,” said Patrick Mullins.

“He could be a horse for nicer ground, he shows more gears at home than he has on the track and maybe that’s just the soft ground blunting his speed.

“We hope that he’s even better than the bare result there, even though he was very good.

“He was on his own there as well and he is a raw horse, he has been that way since we started, and I think he’ll improve for racing."

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