SHAMROCK AT PUNCHESTOWN: SHAMROCK previews all eight races on the third day of the Punchestown Festival with racing starting again at 3.40pm.
Winners are proving very elusive for me so far this week. Hopefully, some better luck today but it’s an ultra-tough opener.
3:40 JLT Handicap Hurdle (88-123) (4yo+, 2m, 28 runners)
The kind of race that can turn the week around in just one race if fortunate enough to come up with the winner. It’s double figure odds the field on BETDAQ and that’s hardly surprising. Jessica Harrington is having a good week with two winners and two second places so far and I’m hopeful (as much as you can in this race) that her Lake Champlain can run a good race off a low weight. He hasn’t beaten a single horse home in his last three races but there have been extenuating reasons. Two of the runs have come on the flat at Dundalk and the other was when he was well beaten in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse last month. The fact he was thought good enough to contest that is interesting and he could well be well handicapped.
4:15 Three.ie Handicap Chase (Grade B) (4yo+, 2m, 12 runners)
Smaller field but it doesn’t look much easier. So many horses this week are flopping on the back of Cheltenham and Aintree so it might pay to take the chance on a fresh horse. Sizing Codelco fits that bill….. kind of. He did run at Cheltenham but got no further than the first fence before unseating his rider in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase. It’s his second first fence unseat in three races so there is a concern but he is nicely priced on the best of his form.
4:50 FBD Cross Country Chase For The La Touche Cup (5yo+, 4m 1f, 11 runners)
Uncle Junior would be the most popular winner of the week if he could land a hat-trick of wins in this race at the ripe old age of 15 but on current form it can only really be a dream. Enda Bolger saddles three and the pick is very much the Nina Carberry ridden Josies Orders who ran a belter of a race when runner-up to Any Currency in the Glenfarclas Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
5:30 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 3m, 9 runners)
Alpha Des Obeaux is very hard to get away from but is priced accordingly. The Mouse Morris trained runner chased home the truly exceptional Thistlecrack in the World Hurdle at the Festival and finished 22 lengths ahead of the third placed Bobs Worth. Shaneshill was beaten the same seven lengths by Thistlecrack at Aintree so there’s little between them today (if trusting that angle) but I’m less convinced about Shaneshill fully seeing out the three miles and that could be the deciding factor.
6:05 Murray Spelman Handicap Hurdle (Grade C) (4yo+, 3m, 26 runners)
Another Rebel reappeared after an absence of two and a half years to bolt home at Cork. Back over hurdles today and with the dreaded ‘bounce’ factor to consider he can only be a tentative pick.
6:40 Ryanair Novice Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m, 5 runners)
It certainly hasn’t all been bad news for Willie Mullins this week – he had a treble yesterday but the short odds defeats of both Vautour and Yorkhill may make the short odds players just a tad more nervous about ploughing in to the unbeaten Douvan. He bids for the three Festival treble and had such easy wins at both Cheltenham (Arkle) and Aintree (Doom Bar Maghull) that this should be relatively straightforward. DAQMAN summed up the race in one word. Douvan and I agree.
7:15 Setanta Sports Mares Novice Hurdle (4yo+, 2m, 13 runners)
I don’t really want to be on the wrong side of the Willie Mullins trained Ria D’etel who was impressive when making a winning 10 length debut in France and gets the fillies allowance here.
7:45 Kildare Post (C & G) Flat Race (4-7yo, 2m, 12 runners)
Mullins again with Invitation Only who won easily at Navan but notably travelled impressively and the runner-up Thirsty Work went on to win well at Clonmel.
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
3.40 Lake Champlain (WIN and PLACE 4 places)
4.15 Sizing Codelco (WIN and PLACE 3 places)
4.50 Josies Orders (NAP)
5.30 Alpha Des Obeaux (NEXT BEST)
6.05 Another Rebel (WIN and PLACE 4 places)
6.40 Douvan
7.15 Ria D’etel
7.45 Invitation Only
£25 IN FREE BETS
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