Punchestown offers up one final treat for 2021 with an intriguing conditions hurdle. We’ve had a look at all ine runners alongside an exclusive offer from bet365 where you can get £50 in Free Bets when you bet £10 today.
WOLF PRINCE 7/1
A winner of three of his 15 starts over hurdles, Wolf Prince is still only a five-year-old and has bits and pieces of form which are particularly exciting.
He won a similar event to this, for which he has been penalised, at Punchestown in October. His two rivals have both won since, so taking that form literally would see him be in with a decent shout here.
However, he has not kicked on in handicap company since and though James O’Sullivan can take off 5lb to nullify his penalty, he may struggle against the best of these.
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CHARLI PARCS 66/1
Initially a very useful juvenile for Nicky Henderson and a previous Champion Hurdle runner, Charli Parcs moved to Aidan Anthony Howard’s yard in February 2020.
He started off in tremendous style after a 469-day break for Howard, winning at Leopardstown, but two further hurdles efforts in handicap company have been a long way below that level.
Ultimately, he needs to step back up to a level he has never been able to show consistently and he can be opposed.
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CILAOS EMERY 1/3
The clas touch in this field, Cilaos Emery may not be a Grade 1 horse anymore, but is still able to perform to a considerable level.
One slight negative may be that his last six starts have been over fences, including on his return, but his last effort over hurdles came in the Champion Hurdle in 2020, in which he ran with a lot of credit to be fourth to Epatante.
Willie Mullins is clearly campaigning him to pick up as many victories as possible. This is a very realistic target and given he has made a swift and successful transition from fences to hurdles in the past, he should be able to do so again here.
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DARVER STAR 7/1
After a stunning run of form between 2019 and 2020 has been replaced by a frustratingly long winless spell for Darver Star.
HIs sojourn over fences did not end up working out last season, even though he was still a Grade 1 runner-up at his best. Seven starts over obstacles have occurred since then, however, including two over hurdles and he was never in contention to win any of them.
The penultimate of those saw him finish second to Cilaos Emery in receipt of 3lb and while he may have the peak form of any of these over hurdles, that now feels like a substantial period of time ago.
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DR MIKEY 80/1
Here’s a stat for you: in 2018, Dr Mikey beat A Plus Tard over fences, conceding the Betfair Chase winner 6lb.
That came on Henry de Bromehad’s star’s debut, but is nevertheless remarkable given the trajectories of their careers since. Dr Mikey has won just once, albeit against Stratum over hurdles. Now, at the age of 12, his form is rapidly deteriorating.
On anything he has shown this year, he has no chance.
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EARLY DOORS 14/1
Injury has seen him off a racecourse since July 2020, but Early Doors has often been very well-placed by Joseph O’Brien and this may be no different.
Both of his last two seasons have culminated in handicap success at the Cheltenham and Galway Festivals respectively. The first came in the Martin Pipe, his penultimate start over hurdles, with the second looking like particularly good form in the 2020 Galway Plate.
He has also been second in a Grade 1 in the past and has also gone well fresh. This is a mammoth layoff, but the field is not the strongest and you can envisage him running a decent race.
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HOME BY THE LEE 25/1
Home By The Lee has regularly started his seasons well for Joseph O’Brien and remains only six-years-old, so there is still the potential for more to come.
His novice hurdling season in 2019/20 opened with form of 21, but he could not make a mark in Graded company thereafter. It was similar story over fences last season, though he did manage a win in a Cork Grade 3, before well-beaten on his next two starts.
His best form over fences came at Naas in February when he ran away with a novice handicap and his ratings suggest he is more than capable on his day. However, that has not been over hurdles and he is best watched after three especially poor efforts.
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OFF YOU GO 28/1
A third in the race for J P McManus, Off You Go beat Grand National winner Minella Times to win a Grade A handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival in February.
He is another who has probably shown his best over fences thus far, though he also defeated Jezki, conceding 5lb in 2019, though the former Champion Hurdler was regressing significantly by that point.
He has also been second and third in Grade 2 company over the smaller obstacles and he has at least been running consistently unlike a few of these. With this field a strange collection of sorts, he could be another to go close.
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BIG RACE VERDICT
This is a most unusual assortment of runners, so it should pay to keep things simple. CILAOS EMERY is the class horse in the field and still retains most of his considerable ability. Darver Star reached the highest level of these over hurdles, but the biggest dangers nowadays may be two of J P McManus’ trio in Early Doors or Off You Go if either are race fit.
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