Cheltenham Festival Market Movers - 16/01/23

Willie Mullins looks to have another nice juvenile on his hands this season with Blood Destiny landing the second race of his career over hurdles at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

Second in France back in April 2022 behind Bo Zenith for Gary Moore, he was then bought and sent to Willie Mullins and on both his starts to date looks an absolute weapon.

Sent to Cork on seasonal/yard debut back in December, he went on to win by five lengths but it could have been much more having never been asked to extend.

Seen again on Saturday at Fairyhouse he went on to bolt up by 18 lengths in a better event on soft/heavy ground and he now sees himself has the second favourite behind stablemate Lossiemouth for the Triumph Hurdle.

Having won at Cork in December he went from 40/1 into 20/1 for the race and having been backed since into 16/1, at the weekend he contracted even more now being a general 5/1 for the Grade One.

Mullins was firing out more market movers for the festival on Sunday at Punchestown, where we saw the very talented Impaire Et Passe go on to land the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.

He is a horse we are a huge fan of, having been bought by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede after winning a bumper in France over 1m4 1/2f, he was given to Willie Mullins and made his debut on the 20th December at Naas.

He looks a serious talent being an 18 lengths winner of a 24 runner Maiden Hurdle over 2m3f and although he would be dropping in trip for this race he has bundles of class.

Impaire Et Passe extended his credentials on Sunday when bolting up by close to seven lengths in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle, tracking the leader Shecouldbeanything the whole way round, jumping like a stag and then quickening away after the last in very deep ground.

He could be a big player in either the Supreme or Ballymore, with the former properly where he will end up now showing he does not lack pace and many of Mullins' winners of this race have ended up in the Supreme.

The gelding is now a general 6/1 from 10/1 for the Supreme and a very similar price for the Ballymore aswell.

The final market mover of the weekend was the Colm Murphy trained Impervious, who on her first start for JP McManus took on the boys giving weight away and dug in superbly to win well.

Sent chasing this season this animal has turned into a bit of a superstar, winning at Wexford on heavy ground on chase debut over two miles and then in December made it 2/2 for the season at Cork, when seeing off Dinoblue by three lengths to land the Grade Two Mares' Chase.

Upped in trip at the weekend to 2m 3 1/2f at Punchestown, taking on the boys whilst giving away weight having got a penalty for her latest success, she revelled in to the heavy ground again and went on to see off Journey With Me late on.

She was determined and gritty like she has been all season, but what is most admirable about her is how she is getting better with every run.

Impervious is in a few markets for the Cheltenham Festival but it looks as though the Grade Two Mares’ Chase against her own sex will be where she ends up with the Arkle and Turners Novices' Chase looking much tougher.

With that in mind she went from 7/2 second favourite for the Grade Two Mares' Chase, to now joint favourite in places but a general 2/1 shot to take the race.