Ruby Walsh feels there is a 40/1 chance among the Willie Mullins-trained novice hurdlers who could have a say at the Cheltenham Festival.
Having already stated the case for Leader D'allier in the Sky Bet Supreme market, Walsh is also interested in an outside chance from the all-conquering Closutton yard in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle over three miles.
Speaking on Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast, Cheltenham Countdown, Mullins' former number one jockey said: "Espresso Milan was good in Thurles in Stewart Andrew’s colours, the Nick Rockett colours, he's a big horse that’s progressing away and does absolutely nothing wrong. Not flash but kind of gets it done.
"I think the one that will be overlooked at a price is Doctor Du Mesnil – I think he wants this sort of trip, he won a 2m3f bumper last year at Cork - last Easter - when he beat Thedeviluno and he’s been disappointing in two runs over hurdles thus far.
"I think he could end up being a good price. What price is he, 40/1? I’d take that."
Mullins also trains the current market leader in the Albert Bartlett, Doctor Steinberg having won by eight lengths in the often informative Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Racing.
Walsh commented: "Willie kind of threw the cat among the pigeons the other morning at a press day, betwixt and between whether he’ll go here or go to the Turners with him (Doctor Steinberg).
"I think that the Nathaniel Lacy was really steadily run, down through the first five or six furlongs anyway, and when you get a horse running keen, it’s very hard if they don’t get to them in the first couple of furlongs, it's very hard to get them then in the race. But I just think when you get into a battle with a horse, it’s hard to switch them off then and I would be of the opinion that the Albert Bartlett usually gets pretty much a full field, you get plenty of people wanting to be on the front end, down over the first couple they tend to go a strong old gallop.
"It’s the kind of race you could get in sixth, seventh, eighth somewhere and get him to switch off, so I think he would settle. I didn’t think he was as good a horse as he is. He was a fraction of odds-on when we did a show before the DRF, and then he was even money, I thought he was ridiculously short for the race but he proved he wasn’t and I thought it was a hell of a good performance.
"Sortudo is a tricky one to figure out trip, he looks at home like he wants further but he didn’t get to Declan Queally’s horse, I’ll Sort That, he got outstayed."
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