Cheltenham Festival Market Movers - 03/02/20

There's no surprise where we will start and that's the biggest race of the festival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

It was the Irish Gold Cup yesterday at Leopardstown and it saw three big Festival fancies come up against each other for the second race on the bounce in the shape of Kemboy, Presenting Percy and Delta Work but it is the latter who came out on top once again.

The Gordon Elliott trained gelding won the Savills Chase ahead of both Kemboy and Presenting Percy on Boxing Day and he repeated that feat impressively yesterday.

He was an 18/1 shot for the Cheltenham Gold Cup prior to his Savills Chase victory but back to back wins has seen him cut to as short as 4/1 for next months race.

Willie Mullins was back up to his old tricks yesterday as his relatively new recruit ASTERION FORLONGE made it 3/3 under rules and 2/2 over hurdles with a 9½ length victory in the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Sent off at 4/1, jockey Paul Townend pressed the go button on him around the bend and go he did bolting up to finish in front of the well fancied Gigginstown horse Easywork.

The performance has now seen him get heavily backed into 5/1 from 20/1 for both the Ballymore and Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham. Trainer Willie Mullins did state after that the Supreme would be his most likely destination.

If you watched the racing over the weekend, it will be no surprise to you that one of the most popular Irish horses of all time has made the cut in this weeks big Cheltenham Festival market movers.

Sent off 13/8 favourite in the Flogas Novices Chase, Faugheen showed that trademark speed and heart to JUST manage to get up to claim victory. It was a relatively big mystery as to what race the former Champion Hurdler would be targeted at at Cheltenham but after owner Rich Ricci was overheard saying the RSA Chase would be a big possibility, that's the race that the money has come for him in.

16/1 into 8s is a pretty hefty move but no matter what race he runs in, it'll just be nice to see him get back in the winners enclosure at Cheltenham.

Typically one of the hardest races of the festival to pick a winner in is the Champion Bumper but over the weekend we had a serious contender storm to the top of the market in the form of APPRECIATE IT.

Half brother to DANNY KIRWAN, he finished third on point to point debut behind Envoi Allen two years ago, with the Gordon Elliott trained hurdler the eventual winner of this race last year.

Still on the bridle two furlongs out, he kicked for home just before the final furlong marker and kicked for home he did bolting up by over seven lengths.

Understandably, the performance has seen him get backed in to as short as 5/2 from 8/1 for the Champion Bumper with the second favourite in the race available at as big as 9/1.