Punchestown hosts the biggest meeting in Ireland prior to Christmas this weekend, with the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle headlining Saturday’s card before the John Durkan Memorial Chase on Sunday. GG tipster Joe Napier has looked at the rest of Saturday’s racing and come up with four best bets.
11.30 Punchestown – Total Event Rental 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle
The sole P next to his name does not make for appetising reading, but there is a chance that HARDY STUFF will go off at a decent price here based on that and the fact that Jack Kennedy prefers Combs of the Elliott duo. However, that could end up being misplaced, with Combs having proven eminently beatable in two starts over hurdles to date.
Hardy Stuff’s pulling up was not a traditional no-hoper’s end to the race, but rather owed to him playing up on his first public racecourse appearance, leading over four hurdles and then careering away to his left on the opening right-handed bend at Cork. Kennedy swiftly called it a day, but the selection was Elliott’s only runner that day and went off within a point of favouritism having been supported.
He is evidently a character, so market signals should be heeded, but he is very likely to open at a price too big here and the absence of a Mullins juvenile in the race immediately makes the Elliott battalions the big fish. Given his stablemate will be one of the yardsticks, Hardy Stuff could well play a part, with a hood immediately applied to get him to behave.
12.32 Punchestown – Conway Piling Beginners Chase
Eyes will be drawn to the chase debut of Kitzbuhel here, but for a keen-going sort still just five years old and for whom longer trips may prove preferable in time, he will likely take up too great a share of the market. Stablemate Kaid d’Authie is one of five JP McManus runners in the contest, but it is SHUFFLE THE DECK who stands out among those for Ted Walsh.
The five-year-old was third in a more than decent Punchestown maiden hurdle to start his rules career last season, then got off the mark at Naas last December, beating rivals between second and fourth who have reached ratings of 130, 133 and 147 over timber. Sitting off the pace in desperate conditions put paid to his chances at the same venue’s Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle next time out, but soft ground should not necessarily be a negative given he won his point on soft-to-heavy.
Shuffle The Deck put that disappointment behind him to win a rated novice event, again at Naas, conceding 5lb to subsequent two-time Listed winner Casheldale Lad. That is serious form and he is just as exciting a chasing prospect given his point-to-point victory while likely to be a much more backable price too.
1.05 Punchestown – Boodles Florida Pearl Novice Chase (Grade 2)
Rocky’s Diamond is an admirable sort who sets a good standard to catch here, but the suspicion is that KOKTAIL DIVIN will relish this step up in trip and his form stacks up in both victory and defeat.
Henry De Bromhead’s charge was beaten just half-a-length on debut last season by Kaid d’Authie then appeared to lose his form when a 24-length third next time out. However, that was to another Willie Mullins inmate Kawaboomga, who had given Kopek Des Bordes a race on debut, while the runner-up was subsequent Supreme second William Munny. The 2m trip would definitely have been on the short side for the son of Masked Marvel.
He subsequently scored at odds-on back up to 2m4f at Leopardstown, then was fourth in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle. That was another solid run, as was his second to Romeo Coolio on chase debut at Down Royal last month when well-held by the impressive winner but 15 lengths clear of anything else. He won twice on very soft or heavy in French AQPS bumpers and may be transformed by this new test having already held his own in good company.
1.40 Punchestown – Ryans Cleaning Handicap Chase
2024 Martin Pipe runner-up WATERFORD WHISPERS is the choice of Mark Walsh out of the two JP McManus runners, the other trained by Willie Mullins in Sa Majeste. That speaks well to the chances of Henry De Bromhead’s runner, who should come good over fences at some point.
The selection finished ahead of rivals now rated 144 and 138 on chase debut behind Ile Atlantique at Navan last term, then found Grade 1 company too hot at Limerick. However, after missing the rest of last season, he has returned with two more promising runs, the first over an inadequate 2m1½f at Listowel, the latter over 2m2f at Galway when not beaten far by subsequent Troytown fourth Will The Wise.
His recent efforts firmly suggest going up to 2m5f is a positive and a mark of 130 is almost certainly well below his best once he puts it all together. His second in the Martin Pipe came off 3lb higher and he is young enough to conjure up plenty of improvement yet.
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