3.40 Punchestown – KFM Hunters Chase




Last year’s winner Shin A Vee returns to the scene of the crime and hasn’t been seen since winning with plenty up his sleeve. Denis Cullen’s gelding was at the veteran stage last year but now at the age of thirteen it is even more difficult to know how much ability he retains following his absence. He also has to concede weight to all of his ten rivals here which will make life more difficult but the form of a large part of the field does not add up to much so he looks worth a place on the shortlist.


We highlighted Peter Maher’s Enniskillen earlier this week in the race won by Wish Ye Didn’t and he ran with great credit to finish second behind Enda Bolger’s charge. Clearly his trainer considers him to be none the worse for that run and has left him in here, which looks a weaker race than the one he contested on Tuesday. He shouldn’t be too inconvenienced by the drop back in trip to 2m4f and he would have to be the one to beat if none the worse for his latest run.


Others of interest include Ross O’Sullivan’s Hasty Times who was third in a similar contest at Down Royal in March. He dead-heated for first over three miles prior to that and is fitted with cheekpieces for the first time in a bid to sharpen the eleven-year-old up. He has done most of his racing on slower ground than he will encounter tomorrow, but he still looks one to watch closely.


In terms of jockey bookings it must be significant that Jamie Codd is riding Grangeclare Rosa who was pulled up in a point on his last racecourse start. She did win the time before that in the pointing field and she arrives here with a lot less miles on the clock than most of her rivals. I don’t think it is unfair to suggest that she has the best jockey in the race on her back and whilst that doesn’t mean she will win the race, it can often means that horses finish closer than they would normally.


Shortlist


Enniskillen


Grangeclare Rosa


Shin A Vee






4.20 Punchestown – EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase




Heading the weights, Avant Tout sets a decent standard for the rest to aim at and looks to be Willie Mullins’ biggest chance in this, despite having Sambremont also entered. His two-length defeat of the reopposing Lord Scoundrel at Limerick at the start of April reads pretty well in form terms, as does his staying-on ninth in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham in March. He’s only rated a pound higher officially than that last win, so there shouldn’t be an issue with his mark, especially considering he has more improvement to come over these obstacles. Even though Lord Scoundrel has a 10lb pull at the weights on that run, with 7lb claimer A J Fox on board, I’m not sure we’ll see the form reversed.


Jockey bookings also suggest that Lord Scoundrel is the second string for Gigginstown, with Bryan Cooper on Marinero, a first-time handicap chaser off a mark of 135. Connections clearly feel that it could be a lenient mark, even though his bare form over fences isn’t anything to shout about. A six-length second to Bonny Kate in soft ground at Fairyhouse is his best effort so far chasing, but this is a horse that it is clearly felt can do much better than he has so far.


Marlbrook is a very unexposed chaser from the Colm Murphy yard and with Barry Geraghty in the plate for owner JP McManus, you have to take this eight-year-old seriously given how impressive his last run at Naas was – winning easily by six lengths, making all. However, he has gone up 11lb for that and now encounters better ground than he’s ever run on before. He may have more to come, but at prices around 5/1, he looks opposable.


Nicky Henderson has entered Full Shift in the race and has the services of Mark Walsh to count on – it could be that the number two might just outdo the number one for JP McManus here. Full Shift’s last two runs, in the Plate Handicap at Cheltenham and in a Listed Chase at Ayr, were both decent efforts, so off the same mark as both of those runs, he looks set to go very well on the yielding ground he’ll get here. No horse under 10/1 has won this race in the last four renewals, so at 12/1 Full Shift could make it five.
Guitar Pete could also be a danger at a big price if he finally returns to the form he showed when finishing third in the Triumph and winning the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree in 2014. It’s a big ask after a few disappointing runs over fences, but off a mark of 134 and back on his preferred decent ground, he could give Nina Carberry a decent spin at odds of around 20/1.


Shortlist


Avant Tout


Full Shift


Marinero





4.55 Punchestown – Hanlon Concrete European Breeders Fund Glencraig Lady Mares Handicap Chase




For a race of this nature, this looks like a cracking contest and although many of the field sneak in off featherweights, it may pay to stick with the classier types at the head of the handicap.


Emily Gray has proven to be a revelation since returning to fences this season, winning four mares’ chases include two Listed races and a Grade 3. The eight-year-old had spent the early part of her career in Ireland and following a buoyant spell with Kim Bailey, has returned to her former connections in fine fettle. It remains to be seen whether a mark of 148 is too steep for her in a handicap but her level of form in mares’ races is up there with the best and she must have a big role to play.


Receiving 12lb from the top weight is Bonny Kate who was many people’s idea of the Irish Grand National winner at the back end of last month. She travelled well for much of the race before tiring out if it late on so the drop back in trip here would like to play right into her favour. She was a most impressive winner of a Grade 2 Mares Novice Chase on her previous start and produced an even more eye-catching performance prior to that when landing the Punchestown Grand National Trial. On a mark only 11lb higher than that victory in January, she has to have a leading chance.


One that could have a hand to play from lower in the pecking order is Indian Fairy on her return to chasing. Eoin Doyle’s charge was a decent second at Fairyhouse on her latest over fences and now finds herself on only a 1lb higher mark. Connections have been shrewd in protecting what could be a lenient move by the handicapper by campaigning her over hurdles since then and she was a nice winner of a mares hurdle at Limerick earlier this month. Given that she arrives in clearly quite good nick, and that capable conditional Donagh Meyler takes a handy 5lb off her back, she could prove to be potentially very well treated.


Shortlist


Emily Gray


Bonny Kate


Indian Fairy






5.30 Punchestown – Betdaq Punchestown Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)




Despite notable absentees in the shape of defending champion Faugheen and ante-post favourite Annie Power, this race still looks to have a strong line-up and the trends suggest that the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham is often a solid guide, with 10 of the last 17 winners having run in the race. My Tent Or Yours (2nd), Identity Thief (6th) and Sempre Medici (PU) all ran at Cheltenham, the first-named doing so following an absence of nearly two years.


Another strong trend is that all of the last ten winners finished in the first three on their most recent outing, with sixth of those coming here on the back of victories. With that in mind, we should be wary of selecting horses who ran below-par last time, in this case, that means Sempre Medici and Identity Thief who both finished outside the places in the Champion Hurdle as well as Tony Martin’s Ted Veale who unseated his rider in the Guinness Handicap Chase here on Wednesday.


Perhaps not surprisingly, the betting market has been a strong guide in recent years with six winning favourites and the only winner in the last decade to have been bigger than 3/1 was Silent Oscar who won at 20/1 in 2007. My Tent Or Yours and Vroum Vroum Mag are vying for favouritism for this race at around the 2/1 mark with Identity Thief next best at around 7/2.


With all things considered, I find it hard to get away from the front three in the market and My Tent Or Yours has done very little wrong in his two starts this season. He just didn’t stay over 2m4f in the Aintree Hurdle last month but once again looked a live danger to Annie Power before she kicked away. It is clearly a concern that horses who ran at Aintree have so far performed below expectations this week but he may even have needed his first couple of runs so there could be more to come. He has proven already this term that he is still up to Grade 1 level and he looks the most likely winner in my book.


Clearly Vroum Vroum Mag has plenty going in her favour as she tackles Grade 1 company against the boys for the first time and she was taken out of her race at Sandown in order to run here. She won with plenty in hand in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham when we last saw her and she must be pretty fresh having only had four well-spaced runs this term. She receives 7lb from all of her rivals here which can make a big difference but she will need a career best to get her head in front here.
Identity Thief needs to bounce back from a below-par effort at Cheltenham in March. Perhaps he was still nursing the scars from his Leopardstown defeat in December and you couldn’t rule him out on this sort of ground. The form of the Henry De Bromhead yard isn’t great at the moment which would be a slight concern and he would also need a career best to find his way into the Winner’s Enclosure.


Of the rest, I think the market has got the chances of Fethard Player and Ted Veale about right at 33/1 and bigger, but big things were reportedly expected of Sempre Medici prior to the Champion Hurdle and he could be the surprise package in the race. He finished in front of Identity Thief at Fairyhouse this time last year and could run well at around the 14/1 mark.


Shortlist


My Tent Or Yours


Vroum Vroum Mag





6.05 Punchestown – Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)




This race has turned out to be a bit of a minefield when it comes to the trends with seven of the nine runners all on a level playing field. However, Willie Mullins’ domination of his race in the last three years, especially with the favourite, cannot be ignored and A Toi Phil must be considered as a leading contender. The six-year-old hasn’t proven to be completely straightforward but the manner of his victory in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown, with subsequent dual Grade 2 winner Acapella Bourgeois seven lengths back in second, was most impressive and the penny finally seemed to have dropped. He didn’t acquit himself particularly well in the Neptune at The Festival but this is a return to much calmer waters and a big run is expected.


Fairyhouse Easter Festival form tends to come to the fore here and Jer’s Girl arrives with the most impressive performance in her back pocket. J P McManus acquired the daughter of Jeremy prior to her running in the EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final and was immediately rewarded as she bounded clear for a dominant 13-length victory. The step up to 2m4f and the drying ground seemed to bring out a huge amount of improvement from her and similar conditions here look sure to be in her favour. Four-year-olds have been few and far between in this race but the weight-for-age allowance, coupled with her concession for being filly, puts her exceptionally well in running off a weight a full 18lb less than the rest of the field.


Disko arrives here fresher than most having not been seen since dismantling the field in a Naas novice hurdle back in early November. He finished second to Bellshill in the Champion Bumper at the Punchestown Festival last year and remains fairly unexposed as a hurdler having had only two starts over the sticks. Following his last win, connections were waxing lyrical about his ability so it is a bit surprising that Bryan Cooper has opted for A Toi Phil instead but nevertheless he has to be feared in what looks to be a wide open contest.


Shortlist


Jer’s Girl


A Toi Phil


Disko






6.40 Punchestown – Star Best For Racing Coverage Novice Hurdle




A small but select field of nine here, with Bello Conti being odds-on favourite for the Willie Mullins and Gigginstown team. His pair of fourth-places at Cheltenham and Aintree, both behind Yorkhill, set a clear standard on form and if he runs up to that again, he could be hard to beat. The drop in trip to the bare two miles should suit on ground that should have a bit of cut left in it and he could carry on the great record of favourites in this race – won six of the last seven renewals.


His biggest threat could be from his own stable, with the familiar Ricci colours being carried by Koshari, another son of Walk in the Park, sire of Douvan to name but one. This will be his first run in Ireland after two in France and it’s difficult to quantify how good this four-year-old could be. Although he won his last start very cheekily indeed, running on under hands and heels to win by a short neck, the second in the race didn’t boost the form on his next run, finishing well down the field. However, the market rates this horse a 9/2 shot against the favourite, so there must be some support coming out of the woodwork.


Outside of the top two, a couple catch my eye – Fire In His Eyes runs over hurdles again after dropping back to convincingly win a Wexford bumper over two and a half miles . His first hurdles run at Leopardstown behind Chain Gang didn’t produce much encouragement, but he’s clearly improved a lot judging by the style of that bumper win. Davy Russell gets the ride on this interesting contender from AJ Martin’s stable and while this two mile trip looks to be a bit short for him, he could still play a hand.


Three Wise Men runs for Henry De Bromhead and if he can scrub up his jumping, he’s got a decent chance at around 9/1. Even though he clouted quite a few hurdles and looked quite green on his last run, he still won nicely – there should be a lot more to come if Noel Fehily can keep him settled and get him into a good rhythm with his jumping. If you’re looking for an alternative to the Mullins-trained duo, he could certainly be the one to upset the applecart.


Shortlist


Bello Conti


Koshari


Three Wise Men





7.10 Punchestown – Racing FX Flat Race




This race has thrown up some smart performers in the past with Fletchers Flyer and Champers On Ice having landed the last two renewals so whatever the result, the form of this year’s renewal could be worth keeping an eye on.


As with most bumpers, the first place to start is with Willie Mullins and he is represented by Some Neck who has finished second in all three of his bumper starts so far. The latest of these came at Fairyhouse in March where he got collared close home by Gordon Elliott’s Miracle In Medinah. Patrick Mullins has pressed on quite early on his last couple of runs and it might just be that this five-year-old will come into his own over this 2m2f trip.


There is plenty of strong opposition for him to worry about though including Monbeg Notorious who won an Irish point in May last year and was fourth behind the smart Invitation Only on his first start in bumpers. He stayed on in the closing stages on that occasion so should benefit from the step up in trip and the yard are no stranger to bumper winners at these big meetings.


Noel Meade also saddles an interesting runner in the shape of Red Giant whose only previous run in a bumper saw him finish fourth in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper at this meeting last year. The winner of that race was the smart Petit Mouchoir and the third home was a multiple winner of bumpers subsequently. Clearly the five-year-old has had his issues in the meantime but he is a must for the shortlist given his form.


This race went the way of a British raider last year so we must respect Philip Hobbs’ No Comment who comes here having finished second on his first two bumper starts. The two horses that beat him have smart form in Graded company to their name so he must come into the reckoning here. Jamie Codd gets the leg up in the JP McManus silks and it would be no surprise to see him be popular in the market.


Others to keep a close eye on could be Jessica Harrington’s Bright Tomorrow who ran behind Battleford when last seen and Paul Nolan’s point winner Crazyheart who has shaped as though he will appreciate the step up in trip on his first two starts in bumpers.


Shortlist


Red Giant


Some Neck


No Comment





7.45 Punchestown – Racing Post Champion Hunters Chase




This is a race that clearly revolves around On The Fringe, who is bidding for his second treble of big Hunter Chases in the last two seasons. The eleven-year-old was mightily impressive at Aintree, winning by a long way, while he was value for better than his Cheltenham winning margin over the reopposing Marito. Nina Carberry is reunited with Enda Bolger’s top class hunter chaser after missing the Aintree Fox Hunters and that’s certainly no barrier to success and neither will trip or ground be, so he’s certainly a deserved 10/11 favourite. He’s also a big winner on the trends, being trained by Enda Bolger, winning last time out, running in the Cheltenham Foxhunters and being a clear favourite.


If you’re looking for some value against him, Marito stands out on his Cheltenham run and will be fresher than the favourite, so it’s possible that the tables could be turned, especially given his jockey can claim his 5lb this time. Similar comments apply to Cheltenham third Paint The Clouds, who rarely seems to run a bad race under Sam Waley-Cohen, finishing in the top four in all of his last nine runs – he’s an each-way bet to nothing if you like that sort of thing at 7/1, but as the trends suggest, British challengers are vulnerable for win purposes, so he looks set for a place.


Salsify would be a popular winner of the race, but he seems not to be at the same level as his old self this season judging by his four runs so far. He looks like could also do with a bit more cut in the ground at this stage in his career if he’s to upset the favourite, so it seems a long shot, even if his last time out win and participation in the Leopardstown Hunter Chase in February give him a trends-based boost.


Shortlist


On The Fringe


Marito


Paint The Clouds