Key market movers for Cheltenham after the DRF

Whilst recognising the merits of the Dublin Racing Festival as a standalone entitiy, the relative (to last year, at least) domination of Willie Mullins in the general absence of the top Cheltenham Festival prospects from the yards of Gordon Elliott and Henry De Bromhead, means that the main market movers this weekend were always likely to be Closutton-heavy.

Saturday

Triumph Hurdle

• Hello Neighbour (now 5/1)

However, before all that, let’s begin with a market mover from Gavin Cromwell’s yard in the form of HELLO NEIGHBOUR. He moved menacingly throughout the Gannon's City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle and, having hit the front at the last, only had to be pushed out to comfortably see off the running-on Galileo Dame.

Clearly this year looks a strong division, with the British-trained Lulamba and East India Dock dominating the market, but there appeared to be plenty of substance to Hello Neighbour’s win for all that favourite Sainte Lucie failed to run her race having been very keen.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle

• Final Demand (now 9/4)

Right, onto the Mullins brigade. Despite a lack of experience, FINAL DEMAND produced a very impressive performance in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle, never far from the pace and putting clear daylight between himself and the front-running Wingmen on the run-in.

“To do what he did there on only his second run over hurdles was a huge achievement”, said his trainer, prompting sizeable shortening for both the Turners’ and Albert Bartlett (7/2). The runner-up will head to the latter race, but it is up in the air where we will see the ‘specimen’ Final Demand next given his trainer believes he has plenty of speed.

Arkle Chase

• Majborough (9/4 from 3s)
• Ile Atlantique (out to 16s)

Like the Triumph, there’s a formidable Seven Barrows resident who tops the Arkle betting, but MAJBOROUGH managed to shorten for the Cheltenham Festival contest despite a less-than-foot-perfect round of jumping in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase.

Sent on at the second fence, he was well clear with runner-up Touch Me Not from an early stage and it was obvious that they had the race between them from some way out as stablemate Ile Atlantique and Firefox struggled to close the gap. In the end, Majborough was eased down to win by nine lengths.

Only five, connections may have hoped they could get one more run in before Cheltenham, but regardless, he is a deserving top-priced 5-2 second favourite for the Arkle.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

• Galopin Des Champs (4/6 from 4/5)
• Fact To File (6/1)
• Grangeclare West (into 20/1)
• Banbridge (into 12/1)

GALOPIN DES CHAMPS has deservedly gained plenty of column inches elsewhere, so his position relatively low down in this article is merely down to the fact that his battling win in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase didn’t seismically move his price for the Cheltenham equivalent in six weeks' time.

As is his wont, Galopin Des Champs jumped well at the head of affairs and, for all his rivals closed en-masse before the last, he quickened well after that final fence and was well in-control, beating stablemates Grangeclare West and Fact To File by nearly five lengths.

The winner is now a top-priced 4/6 shot for a Cheltenham Gold Cup hat-trick, with Fact To File at 6s and Grangeclare West now into 20s. The other market mover for the race this week was Banbridge who is now a best-priced 12s after connections nominated this race as the next port of call.

Sunday

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

• Ballyburn (7/4 from 5/2)

BALLYBURN solidified his position at the top of the Brown Advisory market thanks to a gritty five-length defeat of Croke Park on rain-softened ground in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase. Having not jumped with as much fluency when second to Sir Gino at Kempton, Ballyburn was more efficient at his fences and showed that stamina as well as class is his strongpoint by coming clear of the runner-up who clearly stays very well.

Mullins has lifted this prize with some of his stable stars in recent years, namely Fact To File, Galopin Des Champs, Monkfish and Faugheen and hopes remain high that Ballyburn can follow in their illustrious steps.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

• Kopek Des Bordes (2/1 from 10s)

In arguably the best performance of the weekend, certainly so in terms of the novices, KOPEK DES BORDES was a very impressive winner of the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle, jumping much better than on his hurdling debut and coming well clear of the field despite being a little keen in both the paddock and the race itself. He’s now the clear favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 2/1, with all thoughts of moving up in trip now seemingly quashed. Confidence is high in the family with one of owner Charlie McCarthy's sons adding: "Dad always wanted a winner at Cheltenham and now it's on the cards." It certainly is.

Champion Chase

• Solness (10/1 from 20s)
• Marine Nationale (12/1 from 16s)
• Gaelic Warrior (6/1 from 3/1)

There was a turnup for the books in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase with SOLNESS prevailing under a well-judged, aggressive ride from Danny Mullins. It appeared like the front-runner was doing a bit too much when building up a massive lead before halfway, but, kept wide throughout, his jockey had plenty in reserve when challenged by Marine Nationale before the final fence.

The disappointment of the race was Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior who was held up by Paul Townend and was never involved, only a distant third in the end. Thanks to that performance, there was actually some shortening at the top of the betting for Jonbon, who is now fractionally odds-on across the board.

Champion Hurdle

• State Man (6/1 from 9s)
• Lossiemouth (now 5s)

STATE MAN made it three Irish Champion Hurdles in a row at the Dublin Racing Festival when his only serious rival, stablemate Lossiemouth, fell.

It looked like being a fascinating cat and mouse duel only for Lossiemouth to get four out all wrong under Danny Mullins, riding her for just the second time, and she took a heavy fall, nearly bringing down State Man.

The way that Daddy Long Legs closed down the winner late on suggests that, for all Paul Townend was taking things easy on the winner, that the 4/7 Champion Hurdle antepost favourite Constitution Hill doesn't have too much to worry about from the reigning Champion Hurdler.

Champion Bumper

• Bambino Fever (6/1 from 14s)

BAMBINO FEVER rounded off the weekend perfectly for team Mullins by landing the closing Coolmore N.H. Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race under Jody Townend. She rode Fleur Au Fusil to vicory in the same Grade 2 race 12 months ago, though that horse was unable to make any further impression when seventh and fourth at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals thereafter.

Bambino Fever is now into 6/1 after her impressive seven-and-a-half length success.

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