'I couldn't believe the opposition to him' - Johnny Dineen expects a lively Stayers' Hurdle market with ante-post favourite unpopular

Teahupoo has been the unloved child of the preview night circuit over the last month with pundits on both sides of the Irish Sea falling over themselves to take him on. 

One man who is no stranger to a preview night is Upping The Ante star Johnny Dineen and it was the biggest takeout from his rigorous schedule. 

"I couldn't believe the opposition to him," Dineen said. "Usually when you get an even-money favourite like him, if you have five on a panel at least four of them will go for him. At worst, three. But with Teahupoo, there was usually only one of the five who tipped him, if even that. 

"I was even at a preview with Davy Russell one night and he was lukewarm on his chances. He didn't say he wouldn't or couldn't win and feels he probably will, but he wasn't singing from the rooftops about his chances either. 

"I did a few previews in London and Cardiff as well and they were mostly against him over there, too. He's been the one skimpy favourite that everybody seems to want to oppose. I would say, at most, 20 per cent of the panellist overall tipped Teahupoo. That's extraordinary for a horse who won the race last year."

Get Teahupoo to finish in the first four at 60-1 with Sky Bet:

ENHANCED OFFER

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

60/1 Teahupoo To Finish In Top 4 In 4.00 At Cheltenham

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Christmas Special

CLAIM OFFER

Tap for more details. 18+ T&Cs apply

• A huge array of odds boosts across different sports
• Quick withdrawals, particularly to Visa Debit cards

New customers only. First single & e/w bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 6 x £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets for horse racing only. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further t&cs apply. 18+. Gambleaware.Org

Asked why he thought there was so much opposition to Teahupoo, Dineen said: "I would say it's a mixture of a few things. Firstly, the ground. The weather forecast had very little rain due to hit Cheltenham so there was the prospect of good ground for the Thursday. 

Teahupoo (Jack Kennedy) winning the Stayers' Hurdle at the 2024 Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Patrick McCann

"Secondly, the fact that he hasn't been seen since the Hatton's Grace and, thirdly, that it's not an insurmountable level the others have to get up to in order to reach what he has achieved. He is beatable and most pundits felt it was worth taking him on at the prices."

Dineen went on to say who was the most popular festival tip among the pundits. 

"Oh, definitely Majborough," he said. "There was not one single preview I was on where every panellist didn't fancy Majborough. Nobody could see him beaten, including me, and he was so you just never know what's going to happen in this game."

After being as short as 8-11 with some firms a fortnight ago, Teahupoo continues to slide and Dineen expects that drift to continue. 

He said: "I could see him going off 15-8 or 2-1. I think the bookmakers will try to take him on and I would envisage him being very weak. It's going to be a very interesting market, that's for sure."
Reporting by David Jennings

What they say

Rachael Blackmore, rider of Bob Olinger
He has a brilliant record at Cheltenham. He’s three for three there, and he goes to the Stayers’ Hurdle in great order. I do think that, over three miles, the better ground is going to help him. It’s a competitive race, but he’s a very talented horse, and one who shouldn’t be underestimated.

Paul Gilligan, trainer of Buddy One
You can put a line through his last run at Gowran as the ground was very testing for him. He's travelled over great and loves Cheltenham. He ran a cracker when fourth last season and hopefully can put up another big run.

Fergal O'Brien, trainer of Crambo
We just feel he needs the rub of the green. Teahupoo will be hard to beat, but if he gets a bit of luck I think he'll be in the first four.

Jamie Snowden, trainer of Ga Law
We were either going to carry topweight in the Ultima or do something a little bit more left-field over hurdles, which we've chosen to do. He's only run twice for us over hurdles but he wants this trip now, so we're chancing our arm.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Gowel Road
He's lovely. He loves Cheltenham and we hope it'll be his day.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Home By The Lee
He's trained very well for this since Leopardstown and we've been happy with him this season. We think he has a live chance.

Lucky Place is already a winner at Cheltenham this seasonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Lucky Place
He’s progressing all the time. He’s not run over this far yet, but that is intentional. He stayed well when he won at Cheltenham in January and the form of that race is looking solid. We are taking him being able to stay on trust but we do think that he will be able to stay this far.

Kerry Lee, trainer of Nemean Lion
He's incredible. He's in really good form. I was thinking about waiting for Aintree but I don't think I can contain him that long. He's keen to go to Cheltenham and there's only one way to find out how he'll do. He ran a very good race in the Lanzarote over two miles and five furlongs last season and it was very heavy ground at Fontwell the last day and he wasn't stopping at the end, and the same happened at Windsor. It's a very tall order and we're respectful of the horses who have been there and done it, but if you're not in it then you can't win it. He's incredibly versatile.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Teahupoo and The Wallpark
Everything is great with Teahupoo. We figured out last season that freshness is the key to him, so we have followed the same path this time. I know he won the Hatton's Grace last season, but I actually thought his run was better in this year's Hatton's Grace when he was beaten by Lossiemouth. He went off to Robbie Power's for a few weeks after Fairyhouse and then came back to us lovely and fresh. Everything has gone nicely in the build-up. He doesn't show you much at home or in his work, but he's a different horse when he gets to the track. I know a lot of people are saying he's ground-dependent, but I don't think he is. The Wallpark is an improving young horse and the hill is going to really suit him. He's been a revelation this season and he definitely deserves to take his chance in this.
Reporting by Maddy Playle

Read our day Cheltenham Festival day three previews:

1.20 Cheltenham: 'We're hoping she can reach a high level' - Maughreen and Sixandahalf clash in Mares' Novices' Hurdle 

2.00 Cheltenham: Market leaders look ripe for the taking - expert analysis for the new novice handicap chase 

2.40 Cheltenham: Qualifier winners have a terrible record in the Pertemps, so who is best placed to take advantage? 

3.20 Cheltenham: 'I think we're in the right race' - Il Est Francais joint-trainer Noel George dismisses course concerns for French ace in Ryanair 

4.40 Cheltenham: 'He's no less of a handicap snip for taking on seasoned chasers' - expert analysis and trainer quotes for the Plate 

5.20 Cheltenham: Another Kim Muir for McManus? Leading owner double-handed in attempt to follow up success of Inothewayurthinkin 

Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.