Fairyhouse 30 November 2024 Anzadam and Paul Townend 3rd right win for trainer Willie Mullins© Photo Healy Racing
Lossiemouth cemented her place at the top of the Champion Hurdle market after a commanding victory in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday, while Sir Gino also shortened when emerging an easy winner of the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.
Take a look at the BoyleSports Cheltenham Festival ante-post markets following the weekend's top class action.
12/1 Impaire Et Passe (unchanged) after winning a Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse
Jockey quote: He was class. He jumped brilliant, he got a bit lackadaisical in the middle of it but when I opened him up at the back of the second last he took off. He had a great jump at the last and did everything I wanted him to do. He stood off when I wanted him and was good at getting in. I'm very happy. He was quick over the first couple and popped away when I wanted him then. When I lit him up at the back of the second last he took off. He went to sleep on me after jumping the two out of Ballyhack and I was happy enough not to light him up that far out. I was hoping when I did he would come alive and he did - mustard. (Paul Townend)
25/1 Caldwell Potter (from 33/1) after winning a Beginners Chase at Carlisle
Trainer quote: That was a good start, it was just what we wanted. He jumped nicely, he won well, that’s the first rung of the ladder and I’m obviously really pleased with him. He’s got to learn, that was only his fourth run over jumps as he ran three times over hurdles. He’s relatively inexperienced so we’ve just got to build that experience now, get him some practice and quietly creep on. I haven’t made a plan. Everyone will want to know where he goes next but I haven’t made that decision, we’ve got some valuable experience there. That was just the job, just the start we wanted. (Paul Nicholls)
12/1 The Jukebox Man (from 20/1) after winning the John Francome Novices‘ Chase (Grade 2) at Newbury
Trainer quote: Barters Hill was an exceptional talent and I think he might be the same. There’s loads to work on, he was a bit close to the first few and was almost in hurdling mode. Ben then did well to rein him in and just pop him down the back. He’s a big horse, that’s his run of the season and he’s going to improve a ton. All mine do, so it could be quite exciting, hopefully. I had in my head he wasn’t just a dour stayer, he’s slow at home but on the track he finds another gear and I thought he had a touch of class, so dropping him back to two and a half was always my plan. I was unsure on this ground we’d have the gears, but we did and it opens up a lot of options. We’ll see what we do between now and March. (Ben Pauling)
25/1 Croke Park (from 50/1) Drinmore Novice Chase (Grade 1) at Fairyhouse
Trainer quote: That was brilliant. The horse probably won an average enough beginners’ chase here the last day and I didn’t know if the form was good enough, but that’s why I run them in the races. Sometimes people say I shouldn’t run as many, but if you’re not in you can’t win and that’s what racing is about. This lad was 22-1. Sam gave him a great ride. Those are the races you want to see, there were four or five of them within a couple of lengths jumping the last. They went steady but it was a great race. I thought Henry’s horse would make it, to be honest, and Sam would sit second. (Gordon Elliott)
12/1 Caldwell Potter (from 16/1)
16/1 Impaire Et Passe (unchanged)
7/4 Lossiemouth (from 5/2) after winning the Hatton's Grace Hurdle (Grade 1) at Fairyhouse
Trainer quote: It was very impressive, they went very steady which I think suited us,. She has that bit of speed. She has a nice Flat pedigree and when they went steady, it was bar a fall or something like that. She did make a bad mistake at the fourth last but when it came down to a speed race, I thought she was going to win that anyway. Her dam is a half-sister to Lord Glitters, who was a good miler a few years ago for David O’Meara. That’s the sort of pedigree she has, she has that bit of speed that always comes in handy when they go steady. (Willie Mullins)
4/1 Sir Gino (from 11/2) after winning the Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1) at Newcastle
Jockey quote: He was fresh enough early doors and he jumped great. He just missed one going down the side, but that was only after I pulled him out wide in fairness. After that he seemed to learn a bit. He pinged all of them up the straight and he finished off well. (Nico de Boinville)
33/1 Anzadam (Introduced) after winning the WillowWarm Hurdle (Grade 3) at Fairyhouse
Jockey quote: Obviously he wears the hood, and was keen in France, so I was anxious to get him to settle first but he actually settled brilliantly. He's been forward at home but he did everything really well. I wasn't going to light him up, I let them come around me down around the bottom. (Paul Townend)
10/1 Koktail Brut (Introduced) after winning a bumper at Fairyhouse
Trainer quote: Koktail Brut is a nice horse. We thought we had a few nice ones at home and that was a good performance. He's a bit faster than his half-brother Gevrey and shows a bit of class. I'd imagine we'll look for a graded bumper. (Gordon Elliott)
9/2 East India Dock (from 6/1)
20/1 Opec (from 33/1)
5/2 Teahupoo (from 2/1)
10/1 Lossiemouth (from 14/1)
9/4 Lossiemouth (from 3/1)
