Cheltenham Festival Market Movers - 27/02/23

The first market mover from the weekends action for the Cheltenham festival came in the way off Nusret for Joseph O'Brien who looks to be a big contender for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle if going for the race.

A decent flat performer on the level for Joseph O'Brien getting a rating of 91 at his peak, this season he has been sent hurdling and looks to have a lot of ability.

On hurdles debut at Punchestown in November he made an emphatic start to life over timber when bolting up in a 3-Y-O Hurdle over 2m 1/2f.

Upped in class at Leopardstown over Christmas in the Grade Two Juvenile Hurdle he finished a good third behind two start juveniles in Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau for Willie Mullins.

Next time out again he bumped into another star for Willie Mullins in Blood Destiny when not handling the heavy conditions to finish 18 lengths back in third and maybe that day he was saving his mark.

The key to this horse is good ground and he showed that on Saturday when landing the Grade Two Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton, seeing off Perseus Way after the last.

Nusret showed just how poor the British Juvenile challenge is this season having been blown out the water by some smart Irish horses and then coming over to England and winning that race, shows the difference in class.

Unlikely to step up into the Grade One Triumph and instead go for the Boodles, he was 11/1 before the race at the weekend and is now as short as 5/1 with some firms.

Also on the Saturday away from the main action in the UK was the final Pertemps qualifier before the Cheltenham festival at Chepstow and Thanksforthehelp for David Pipe laid down his case for the race when bolting up by close to seven lengths.

A horse that was seen three time in Novice Hurdles last season without winning before heading over to the Punchestown festival in a Handicap Hurdle and again running well to finish third of 24.

Making his debut for the season this term at Wetherby on Boxing Day when looking to need the run, he was firing on all cylinders on Saturday when never coming off the bridle to land his first race for owner JP McManus.

Winning off a mark of 117 he will go up for that but from the way he raced he could still have a few pounds in hand and the market for the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Final thought so aswell now as short as 6/1 with most firms from 20/1.

Another market mover from the weekend came from Ireland on Sunday with Corbetts Cross for Emmet Mullins outting his hat in the ring for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Looking a very smart horse for owner Eugene O'Sullivan being nursed along throughout his career and towards the end of 2022 he started to show his true potential, getting off the mark under rules at Cork in October and then going on to run for the trainer three times more when winning twice and placing against good horses.

Bought by Paul Byrne and given to Emmet Mullins, he had his first run for his new stable and it saw him drop down to two miles at the weekend in the Grade Two Johnstown Novice Hurdle having been running over further.

He made a winning start for the yard seeing off the likeable Found A Fifty by a head and showing good staying ability, if he goes back up in trip there should be more improvement.

Although going up a mile for the Grade One Albert Bartlett, that prep run saw him move in the market from 11/1 into 11/2.