It is the opening day of the Punchestown Festival on Tuesday. Our man Daryl Carter is looking to get off to a rapid start, with three selections across the first two races, as well as two further selections from Brighton and Nottingham. Read his thoughts below, alongside Bet365‘s new customer offer of Bet £10, Get £50 In Free Bets.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
GRANGEE – 3.40 Punchestown (1pt win – 4/1 bet365 + Hills, 7/2 generally)
Dinoblue was an eye-catcher at Fairyhouse, but if anything, that performance suggested she wanted further, and this drop back to 2m would be a negative. She won impressively at Clonmel on heavy ground when stamina came to the fore, so this quicker ground and a sharper trip, I am hoping, is a negative for her chances at the top of the market. I want to take her on with two. The first is GRANGEE, who is an out and out two-miler and can easily be forgiven for her non-staying performance at Fairyhouse behind today’s favourite, and the drop in distance looks a positive. She cantered all over Dinoblue at Cheltenham and was yet to play her hand here in January, and the form of her Grade 1 4th behind Might Potter looks useful in this company. She reunites with Paul Townend today, and that is another positive to her chances, so providing she handles this quick turnaround of nine days (favourite needs to also), she will have the superior turn of foot.
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INSTIT – 3.40 Punchestown (1pt win – 7/1 generally)
INSTIT is another that is of interest for the Willie Mullins yard on the back of a promising debut performance at Limerick behind a fellow improver who came into the race with strong form. She was hampered at two out but did remarkably well to finish as close as she did after being extremely keen throughout the race. She recorded a useful time figure that day (one that half of these have yet to match), and she is sure to get a stronger pace in this contest today. It’s a bit of a gamble, but she is in receipt of 8lbs from many of her rivals and 5lbs from others. She also arrives here fresh in a race in which four-year-olds have a good record, with three winning from a total of ten runners with one runner-up. The standard set in this contest is a mark of 135 less that of the weight she receives it’s not out of the question that she improves for her first run in Britain and for the yard. She is interesting.
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DYSART DYNAMO – 4.15 Punchestown (2pts win – 2/1 bet365 + Hills, 15/8 generally)
I have not been a fan of the form of Sir Gerhard this season. In the Champion Bumper he beat Three Stripe Life by eight lengths. In his last two starts over hurdles, he has beaten the same rivals by six and three lengths, and his jumping has given me the impression that he is not bomb-proof when push comes to shove. He has picked up two soft grade ones this term (in my opinion), and he was disaPpointing at this meeting last season, so I want to take him on with DYSART DYNAMO. Mighty Potter came unstuck at Cheltenham, and he certainly wants further than this, while Vina Ardanza – who is on the upgrade – needs to find more at this level on the bare form and needs more experience. Dysart Dynamo may not be the choice of Paul Townend, but he has the ability to put him to the sword on the front end. He should be able to outjump and outspeed Sir Gerhard in the early stages of the race, and he will get a soft lead if that’s the case because it’s unlike Townend to go chasing off. Dysart Dynamo has twice been extremely impressive at this course, and he wasn’t entirely done with when falling at Cheltenham. He jumps slightly right, so the return to a right-handed track looks like a good move by connections, and he will put Sir Gerhard under pressure during the midsection of the race, and with a straightforward ride looking likely, he gets a strong vote of confidence.
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JEWEL IN MY CROWN – 3.58 Brighton (1pt win – 9/2 Betfair, Paddy, 888)
JEWEL IN MY CROWN showed signs of feeling the effects of a long season in her final start at Newmarket, and she never entirely looked happy on the track. She could easily pick back up the progressive thread the first time after a break now returned to Brighton, where she scored so well on her second start last season. She ran a race full of promise after a similar break last term at Leicester in what has turned out to be a very useful Novice contest, and with an excuse for her York run when failing to stay the trip, she remains completely unexposed. This is a good race, but Brighton lends itself to course specialists, and with her the only runner in the field with course experience (1-1 100%), she gets the vote.
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MONSIEUR LAMBRAYS – 4.40 Nottingham (1pt win – 12/1 bet365, 9/1 generally)
It may pay to take a chance on MONSIEUR LAMBRAYS, who is solely reliant on a strong pace to be seen to best effect and had to suffer being held up at the rear of the field at Ripon three days ago in a muddling tactical affair. He also failed to handle the undulations of the track there, and its interesting connections have turned him out so quickly. None of his rivals looks ahead of the handicapper, and with the presence of the free going Gumball, the two Mark Johnston horses and Dancing Harry, there will be no waiting around in this contest, and he should get the race run to suit. He has mileage in this handicap mark of 86 – just two pounds higher than his last victory, and he has run consistently well here at Nottingham – so he looks the value play.
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Daryl Carter’s Best Bets
GRANGEE – 3.40 Punchestown (1pt win – 4/1 bet365 + Hills, 7/2 generally)
INSTIT – 3.40 Punchestown (1pt win – 7/1 generally)
DYSART DYNAMO – 4.15 Punchestown (2pts win – 2/1 bet365 + Hills, 15/8 generally)
JEWEL IN MY CROWN – 3.58 Brighton (1pt win – 9/2 Betfair, Paddy, 888)
MONSIEUR LAMBRAYS – 4.40 Nottingham (1pt win – 12/1 bet365, 9/1 generally)
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