Cheltenham Festival gamble as horse's odds cut in half before running for new trainer


A Nicky Henderson-trained horse has seen his odds cuts in half for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival before even running for the English handler.



Recently purchased by Joe Donnelly, French recruit Lulamba won a three-year-old hurdle race at Auteuil in October by five lengths. He will run in the same colours as the likes of Sir Gino and State Man.



Lulamba holds at entry at Kempton on Saturday, but already his odds have been slashed for the Triumph, with William Hill cutting his price into 6/1 from 12/1.



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Spokesperson for the firm, Lee Phelps, said: “Nicky Henderson’s new French recruit, Lulamba, has seen significant support in the Triumph Hurdle market with the highly-touted hurdler cut to 6/1 from 12/1. We added the juvenile hurdler to the market alongside our ‘Non-Runner Money Back’ offer for the Cheltenham Festival on New Year’s Day and we’ve seen a sea of support ever since.



“Owners Joe and Marie Donnelly are no strangers to a top-class hurdler and all eyes will be on his entry at Kempton on Saturday. With a previous win on heavy ground at Auteuil, the forecast conditions shouldn’t pose a problem. This race will give us a clearer idea of whether he can truly challenge the current market leaders, James Owen’s East India Dock and Hello Neighbour, trained by William Hill Ambassador Gavin Cromwell, with that pair both priced at 7/2.”



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