2017 Cheltenham Festival market movers: Douvan, Outlander and Vroum Vroum Mag cut for glory

In doing so he provided 17-year-old Jack Kennedy with his first Grade 1 winner and a 100th success in what has been an unbelievable start to his career.

Outlander is now 16/1 (from 33s) with Coral for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, March 17th, and could well have a hand to play in national hunt racing’s blue riband contest if stable companion and reigning champion Don Cossack fails to come back from injury.

Whilst he looks to have a mountain to climb to beat the current red-hot favourite Thistlecrack following that one’s stunning success in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, Outlander is clearly on an upward curve and is a really tough sort who could well be capable of making the frame if continuing to progress.

Vroum Vroum Mag hoovers up another Grade 1 success

Vroum Vroum Mag held off the late thrust of stablemate Clondaw Warrior to win the Grade 1 Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown and is now 2/1 joint-favourite (from 5/2) with Coral for the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, March 14th.

The 8/15 favourite cruised through the race and looked set to win comfortably in the hands of a confident Ruby Walsh, but after jumping the last she began to run on empty and had to dig deep as her rider was forced to get very animated in the final 100 yards.

In the end Vroum Vroum Mag held on to win by 1 1/4 lengths and it could well be that she only just managed to see out the 3m trip.

To my eyes she does not seem the ideal type for the Stayers Hurdle at the Festival and the Mares’ run over a shorter trip of 2m 4f, which she won back in March, looks the obvious target once again.

The Willie Mullins trained seven-year-old shares favouritism for the race with Apple’s Jade, who beat her a short-head when they met in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse at the beginning of the month, and a fascinating rematch now looks on the cards.

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