Who were the major Cheltenham Festival market movers on a big day of clues?

On a festival Trials day which featured several horses on the fringes of being fancies and one red-hot favourite, it was East India Dock who layers felt did most to enhance his credentials when bounding clear of Stencil early. 

Paddy Power were most impressed, halving his odds for the JCB Triumph Hurdle to 3-1 from 6s, while Coral went 7-2 (from 6s) and Bet Victor the same price from an opening position on the day of 5-1.

Lulamba remains favourite for the juvenile championship after his stylish debut win at Ascot a week ago, although Betfred and Unibet nudged him out a fraction to 7-4, while heading in the other direction were bet365 – who had offered the biggest price about East India Dock before racing – and who nibbled a little more off Lulamba's price and are just 11-8 about the French import securing a record-extending eighth win in the Triumph for trainer Nicky Henderson.

Constitution Hill was on a hiding to nothing against opposition 29lb and upwards his inferior in the Unibet Hurdle and most firms left him unchanged for the Champion Hurdle, with Paddy Power and Betfair sticking to their best-priced 4-5 about him regaining the title he won in 2023. 

L'Homme Presse (left) jumps the last with Stage Star at Cheltenham Credit: Edward Whitaker

There was less unanimity after L'Homme Presse's defeat of the dogged Stage Star in the Betfair Cotswold Chase. He had been widely available at 25-1 for the Boodles Gold Cup at the start of the day. 

Paddy Power took a conservative view of L'Homme Presse's success by three-quarters of a length, trimming the ten-year-old to 20-1, while Ladbrokes were more positive about his ability to improve on last year's fourth place behind Galopin Des Champs, going 16-1 (from 25s), and also clipped Stage Star into 25-1 from 33s for the Ryanair Chase. 

By the time Gowel Road had repelled the persistent attention of Monmiral in the Cleeve Hurdle, a race in which his two main market rivals both finished down the track, consensus broke out among the bookmakers, with modest cuts among them. 

Gowel Road was cut across the board but there is still plenty of 20-1 available about his winning the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, a race for which Teahupoo was cut to repeat his win of 2024 and is a best-priced 5-4 with the sponsors.

The other significant mover for the race, who spent the afternoon in his box, was Lucky Place, who beat Gowel Road last time out in the Relkeel and is now no bigger than 10-1, while Sixmilebridge was cut to 16-1 (from 33) for the Turners Novices' Hurdle with Coral after beating Potters Charm, who was pushed out to 16-1 (from 7) in a market head by The New Lion at 7-2.

Away from Cheltenham, Jetara was cut to 16-1 (from 33) for the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle after just holding off Kateira at Doncaster, with the runner-up eased to the same price by Coral. 

Aurora Vega is 14-1 (from 33) with Paddy Power for the Mares’ Novices' Hurdle after her Grade 3 win at Fairyhouse, while later on the same card stablemate Kawaboomga earned quotes ranging between 8-1 and 14-1 for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle after breaking his maiden at the expense of William Munny and Koktail Divin.

Read more:

'He's just on another level' - Constitution Hill shrugs off last-flight blunder in successful Champion Hurdle prep 

James Owen 'wouldn't swap East India Dock' in Triumph after dominant trial win - plus Sixmilebridge ends Potters Charm's unbeaten run 

'Galopin Des Champs is a champion but you don’t worry about one horse' - L'Homme Presse tees up Gold Cup bid 

'I was not expecting her to do that' - Aurora Vega surprises Willie Mullins with impressive Solerina display

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