Cheltenham Market Movers: Dublin Racing Festival Provides Clues For March

The Dublin Racing Festival produced several impressive performances, leading to significant market moves for the big races at Cheltenham in March.

We are just under a month away from the festival, and the majority of horses have now shown their hands regarding their Festival credentials.

Here, we look at the latest odds offered by betting sites for big races such as the Gold Cup, the Champion Chase and the Champion Hurdle.

Is Galopin Des Champs A Gold Cup Guarantee?

One of the most impressive performances of the weekend was Galopin Des Champs landing his third Irish Gold Cup.

Willie Mullins' stable star will now attempt to match that feat in the Cheltenham equivalent, and he has been shortened into a price of 8/15 from 4/6 with BetVictor to do so.

Grangeclare West and Fact To File finished behind the Gold Cup favourite at Leopardstown, with the former now 25/1 for Gold Cup glory and the latter being the 6/1 second favourite.

After the latest entry stage, Banbridge has been shortened to a best-priced 10/1 having been confirmed to run in Cheltenham's blue riband.

Solness Backed For Champion Chase

Jonbon has been favourite for the Champion Chase with betting apps for some time now, but some of his market rivals put in impressive performances over the weekend.

Solness was the stand-out performer, showing incredible speed and stamina to win the Dublin Chase from the front.

Joseph O'Brien's charge has been cut to 11/1 from 20/1.

Marine Nationale put in a fine performance in second and is now a 12/1 shot for the Champion Chase, while Gaelic Warrior, who disappointed at Leopardstown, has drifted to 6/1 from 3/1.

Lossiemouth Drifts For Champion Hurdle

It was billed as the match-up of the Dublin Racing Festival, but the Irish Champion Hurdle turned out to be a disappointment as Lossiemouth fell heavily.

This left State Man to pick up the pieces to win the race for the third time in a row. 

He has now been shortened into 13/2 for the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle, with Lossiemouth now priced at 5/1 with Bet365.

Constitution Hill is still considered to be one of the bankers of the meeting and is the 4/6 favourite.

Sir Gino Has An Irish Rival In The Arkle

Before the weekend, Sir Gino, like his stablemate Constitution Hill, was considered a banker for Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson's star novice looks to have the two-mile chasing world at his feet, but a serious Arkle challenger has emerged in the form of Majborough.

The JP McManus-owned five-year-old could hardly have been more impressive at Leopardstown and is now a 5/2 shot to get the better of the Festival favourite.

Novice Hurdle Markets Shaken Up

Arguably the best performances at the Dublin Racing Festival came from two novice hurdlers.

Kopek Des Bordes is one of the biggest market movers for Cheltenham, being shortened to 11/10 favourite with Ladbrokes for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, having been available to back at 10/1 prior to the weekend.

Final Demand is another Willie Mullins runner with an entry in the Supreme, but his performance over two miles six furlongs at Leopardstown has seen him become the 2/1 favourite for the Turners Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The aforementioned Kopek Des Bordes is priced at 7/1 for the Turners, with the impressive British representative, The New Lion, splitting the two Mullins' horses at 3/1.

Other horses that have had their Cheltenham odds shortened after the Dublin Racing Festival are Hello Neighbour and Ballyburn.

Hello Neighbour is now a 6/1 shot for the Triumph Hurdle, while Ballyburn has been shortened for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

Already a Cheltenham Festival winner, he is the 2/1 favourite with horse racing betting sites.