Willie Mullins' Cheltenham Festival bombshell for punters forces bookies to slash odds on key runner
WILLIE MULLINS has dropped an almighty bombshell on punters ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.
The Irish maestro has forced bookies to slash odds on one of his key runners.
Mullins hinted Galopin Des Champs, the longtime favourite for the Brown Advisory, could now be redirected to the Turners Novices' Chase.
That would open him up to a mouthwatering head-to-head against Bob Olinger.
Speaking of where the star chaser will go, Mullins said: "He could go in either the Turners or Brown Advisory, I want to talk to Paul [Townend].
"I’d be happy enough I think with the 2m4f Turners. I think he has the ability to do that."
Punters had been piling Galopin Des Champs into their accas – but on the proviso that he ran in the Brown Advisory.
Now Coral have slashed his odds on the Turners, where he is into evens with Bob Olinger still the 4-5 fav.
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L'Homme Presse (7-2), Bravemansgame (4-1) and Blue Lord (8-1) are the other contenders given odds of shorter than 10-1 for the race.
Coral's Harry Aitkenhead said: "Rather than avoid each other it now looks as though Galopin Des Champs is headed for a mouthwatering clash with Bob Olinger in the Turners and we go even money Galopin and a shade of odds on for Bob, just favouring Henry De Bromhead's charge."
Galopin Des Champs remains odds-on 4-5 for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase with Coral.
But Bravemansgame has been cut to 9-4 (from 11-4) for the same race on the back of the news of Galopin Des Champs' possible defection.
Aitkenhead added: "Bravemansgame could be the beneficiary of Bob Olinger and Galopin Des Champs taking each other on in the Turners, with the odds cut on success in the Browns Advisory for Nicholls' charge."
However, some punters thought Mullins could be playing mind games, much like Nicky Henderson accused him of earlier this week.
One said: "I don't believe Willie until final declarations are made."
And another commented: "Galopin Des Champs to take on Bob Olinger, or just classic Mullins tricks?"
Turners Novices' Chase
4-5 Bob Olinger
Evens Galopin Des Champs
7-2 L'Homme Presse
4-1 Bravemansgame
8-1 Blue Lord,
10-1 Haut En Couleurs, Jungle Boogie
12-1 Riviere d'Etel, Saint Sam
14-1 Fury Road, Stattler, Capodanno, Gaillard Du Mesnil
20-1 Bar
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