Early Cheltenham Festival Market Movers

The first horse that has seen improved market support over the last few days is the Gordon Elliott trained Battleoverdoyen for the Gigginstown House Stud team.

This six year old was a very reliable hurdler last season that won his first four races over flights in remarkable style, taking the Group One Novice Hurdle at Naas before heading to Cheltenham.

At the festival he was highly fancied to take the Ballymore Novices Hurdle going off as the 3/1 favourite but unfortunately flopped and was pulled up before the finish.

After that Elliott decided that he would be sent novice chasing this season with the RSA Chase at Cheltenham in March the most likely target.

With that in mind he made his chase debut on Sunday at Galway and got back to his old winning style when trouncing the field and looking a natural over the bigger obstacles.

He breezed aside a decent field of runners to take the beginners chase and saw his odds be smashed in for the RSA at Prestbury Park being 33/1 before the race and is now 12/1.

He looks a hugely talented first timer over hurdles and should have a a bright future this season.

Next up is Phillip Hobbs new recruit to hurdles in Thyme Hill and this five year old has been lightly raced so far during his career and looks a really talented gelding.

Last season he ran in three bumpers, all of them to a good standard winning on his debut at Worcester before a smart second in a Listed event at Cheltenham.

This set him up perfectly for the Champion Bumper at the festival where again he progressed to finish a solid third behind two rising stars that will have a successful season over hurdles this year.

Thyme Hill like many coming out of the bumper made a brilliant start to life over flights landing the Grade Two Persian War Novices Hurdle.

He beat some really smart up and coming horses at the start of the month and looks a very handy individual for the yard and will be sure to give another good account of himself at the Cheltenham festival.

After that progressive win the gelding flew in from 33/1 for the Ballymore Novices Hurdle to 16/1.

The final horse that has moved massively already in the markets for the Cheltenham festival is the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Al Dancer who started his career over fences perfectly.

The six year old was one of the star hurdlers of last season winning four of his five races in superb style with his best performances coming at Cheltenham in a Class 3 Handicap Hurdle and at Ascot in the Grade Three Betfair Hurdle at Ascot.

His final run of the season very much like Battleoverdoyen saw him flop when it really mattered with the gelding being the 9/2 joint favourite for the Supreme Novices Hurdle but finishing a weak 10th of 16 and was not seen again for the season.

His trainer decided to send him over fences this season and at Cheltenham on Friday he made his chase debut in a four runner event that saw some strong hurdlers from last season.

The gelding prevailed well to land the contest, learning a lot for his first outing over the big obstacles whilst still retaining his strong staying ability up the Cheltenham hill.

That win sparked punters to back the six year old for the Arkle Chase on the first day os this seasons festival with the once price of 33/1 nowhere to be seen and the best now on offer being 12/1.