Cheltenham Festival News
	Monday 4th January 2016

Xmas action excites Cheltenham fever

After Sprinter Sacre and Sire de Grugy’s dramatic head to head in Kempton’s Desert Orchid Stakes on December 27th, the pair’s match up in Cheltenham’s Champion Chase on March 16th is already generating serious interest.

With Un de Sceaux also involved, the Champion Chase is shaping up to be a classic.

Willie Mullins

Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old has gone out to 6/4 with betting site Titanbet.co.uk following his fall at Leopardstown on the 27th while Sprinter Sacre and Sire de Grugy have been trimmed to 7/2 and 8/1 respectively.

Elsewhere, another Mullins mount, Djakadam, remains the runaway favourite for the Gold Cup. The six-year-old stands out as Titanbet.co.uk’s 7/2 favourite for the big race.

Second to Nico de Boinville in 2015, Djakadam is one of a slew of Mullins-trained contenders for festival honours.

Don Poli
© Caroline Norris

Don Poli (6/1) and Vautour (8/1) are also prominent in the Gold Cup betting whilst Faugheen is an early 4/7 ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle.

Russell Yershon, UK Sports Manager for Titanbet.co.uk, is amongst those looking ahead to the Cheltenham festival. 

He said: “There is no getting away from the excitement that Cheltenham generates. Even from three months away we are seeing serious interest being expressed in the leading contenders.

“The Christmas meetings are great in themselves, but they offer a perfect build up to the festival.

“There are some truly great contests in prospect - and there is no getting away from the fact that Willie Mullins’ horses are an integral part of that.”