Cheltenham Market Movers 2012: Wednesday

9.13 UPDATE: Welcome to Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival.

The official going description is Good (Good to soft in places). Clerk of the course Simon Claisse thinks the ground will be “a little bit quicker than yesterday”. The first four races all clocked times close to the Racing Post standard, similar to the times recorded on the opening day of the Festival last year.

9.45: Teaforthree is an early mover in the first race today. Backed in from 15/2 he is 6/1 (Bet365) to win the Diamond Jubilee Chase at 1.30.

10.05: With Batonnier a non-runner in the Neptune (2.05) all the horses at the top of the market have shortened. Simonsig is the 5/2 (Bet365) favourite.

10.20: The day’s big race is the Champion Chase at 2.30. Sizing Europe is the strong favourite at 10/11 (William Hill) but there has been a nibble for Realt Dubh. Advised by our racing tipster at 25/1, he is a best price 22/1 with Blue Square.

10.52 : The Coral Cup (4.00) is one of the big betting races of the Festival and there are several market movers. Son of Flicka is 25/1 (Bet365) from 66s and Silverhand is 18/1 (BetVictor) from 25s.

11.32: The punters are getting stuck into Grands Crus. Only a handful of firms showing 11/8 (bodog) with the rest 5/4.

11.54: Gorgeous Sixty is a big market mover in the Fred Winter (4.40). She is a best price 8/1 (William Hill) in from 14/1 at the start of the day. She is yet to win outside of France but better ground is perhaps the key to this plunge.

12.46: The bookmakers are happy to take on Simonsig in the Neptune (2.05) and he is out to 11/4 with Bet365. Monksland, Sous Les Cieux and Cotton Mill are the three being backed to beat him.

13.10: Twenty minutes until the first race and Teaforthree 11/2 (William Hill) and Lively Baron 20/1 (William Hill) are the ones being backed.

13.41: The well-backed Teaforthree finds plenty up the hill to land the first race. Neptune Novices’ Hurdle up next; Monksland, Sous Les Cieux and Cotton Mill are the big positives in the market.

14.01: Lots of late money for Simonsig he is now as short as he’s ever been at 2/1 (William Hill).

14.17: Simonsig is an impressive winner of the Neptune and a poor result for the bookmakers, he was well backed right before the off. Grands Crus is 5/4 (Bet365) to keep the winning run going for favourite backers.

14.36: Punters must be flush, their winnings are rolling onto Grands Crus, now 11/10 (William Hill).

14.49: Bobs Worth improves his Cheltenham record to 4/4 to take the RSA Chase, Grands Crus finishes a disappointing fourth.

14.57: Sizing Europe is odds-on at 5/6 (Bet365) for the Champion Chase (3.20) with Realt Dubh being backed at 20/1 (Bet365).

15.33: Hint of controversy as the final fence was missed due to an earlier faller. Hard to tell if that cost Sizing Europe the race, pacesetter Wishfull Thinking crashing out early probably had a bigger impact. Sizing Europe had to make most of the running allowing Finians Rainbow to wear him down at the finish.

15.41: Anyone finding the winner of the Coral Cup (4.00) will be handsomely rewarded with the bookies going 8/1 the field. Son of Flicka has been well backed all day, 18/1 (Boylesports) from 40s.

16.18: Gamble landed as Son of Flicka wins the Coral Cup. Two races remain with Gorgeous Sixty 8/1 (Paddy Power) from 14s in the Fred Winter at 4.40. The Champion Bumper rounds off the day’s action at 5.15, with New Years Eve the strong 5/1 favourite with Sportingbet.