Cheltenham Festival Market Movers - 21/02/22

The first horse that moved significantly in the betting for the Cheltenham festival was the Kim Bailey trained Does He Know, who is now as short as 6/1 for the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Being sent over fences this term having been a fair novice hurdler last year, he has been seen four times, winning three of them in good fashion.

Making his debut at Chepstow, he won a decent Beginners Chase and then backed that up under a penalty at Cheltenham over the Ultima course and distance.

Looking to land the hat-trick he was seen of by rival Threeunderthrufive, but bounced back to winning ways at the weekend in the Grade Two Reynoldstown Novices' Chase.

He might be fairly high in the weights for the Ultima but does have a big chance if going to Cheltenham.

Another horse that took the eye when it comes to handicap races at the festival was the Sam Thomas trained Good Risk At All who finally proved his potential when winning the 2m3f Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday.

Getting his soft conditions he went on to bolt up by nine lengths, with the second being a further 34 lengths clear of the third placed finisher.

Being a superb bumper horse when winning a classy race that saw many of the runners in behind go onto frank the form, Good Risk At All had not converted that form himself since going over timber.

Finishing second on all three of his starts over hurdles, in races he should of got off the mark in, it left him with a mark of 127 for his race at the weekend.

Being a much better horse than this he bolted up and now is a leading player for the Coral Cup at Cheltenham moving into be 7/1 from 14/1.

Over in Ireland the feature race of the afternoon at Gowran Park on Saturday was the Grade Three Red Mills Hurdle and it threw out a live contender for the Champion Hurdle in Teahupoo.

The Gordon Elliott trained gelding was a smart horse over hurdles last year and was ultimately waited on for this season only being a five year old.

Starting his season off at Naas in the Grade Three Fishery Lane Hurdle he beat Triumph Hurdle winner Quilixios by 12 lengths and did the same again over the Christmas period when taking the Grade Two Limerick Hurdle.

Taking on each other for a third time at the weekend, Teahupoo made it a hat-trick when landing the race at the weekend by an easy 11 lengths.

He is now a 9/1 chance for the Champion Hurdle from 20/1.

Finally, one of the performances of the weekend came from the Henry Daly trained Hillcrest who massively strengthened his credentials for the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

He has been a superb horse for the yard, being a smart bumper horse at the start of 2021, placing on debut and then getting off the mark at Wetherby.

Given a break and sent over hurdles this term, he made an emphatic debut at Aintree over 2m4f, beating a next time out winner and then backed that up at Wetherby over slightly further, taking a novice hurdle under a penalty by 20 lengths.

Looking to land a hat-trick over hurdles he went to Cheltenham in a hot Listed event and saw of the highly rated I Am Maximus and Get A tonic with ease.

Hillcrest was then seen back at Prestbury Park in the Grade Two Ballymore Trial and unfortunately unseated his rider before we could tell what would happen.

He got back on track at the weekend in a big way and is now as short as 5/1 for the three mile event from a previous price of 14/1.