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Free Gift has been pushed out to 8-1 for the Christie's Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival following a surprise defeat at Folkestone today.

The Sally Alner-trained seven-year-old was sent off the 1-2 favourite for the R. E. Sassoon Memorial Hunters' Chase after winning eight successive races, seven in point-to-points and one in a hunter chase last May.

However, Free Gift never really looked like fighting back after being headed two fences from home and he was eventually beaten six lengths by Paddy For Paddy.

Coral had gone 7-2 about Free Gift's Cheltenham chances before the race but they now make him an 8-1 shot with Sleeping Night the new 5-1 market leader.

Paddy For Paddy has been introduced into the Foxhunter market at 14-1.

Christie's Foxhunter Chase, Coral bet: 5-1 Sleeping Night, 7-1 Lord Atterbury, 8-1 Free Gift, 9-1 Back On Top, Lord Of The Turf, Never Compromise, 10-1 Drombeag, 12-1 Foly Pleasant, 14-1 Paddy For Paddy, 16-1 Legal Right, 20-1 bar.