SHAMROCK THURSDAY: SHAMROCK looks at each of the races on the third day of the Punchestown Festival. Four winning races from seven yesterday so it’s getting better.
A little bit better yesterday, thanks to a few whispers from my very best contact in the game.
Le Vent A’Antan WON AT 3/1 and in the next race Beat That WON AT 11/8.
Just as it was getting easy it got hard again but we got a place return from Pass The Hat (3rd at 11/2) and was right to take on Totally Dominant (3rd 7/2) in the final race with a lay.
There’s an eight race card today:
3:40 Colm Murray Memorial Handicap Hurdle (88-123) (4yo+, 2m, 28 runners)
Vive La France, a French import (who would have guessed it !!) is interesting for Tony Martin. He makes his Irish debut having finished third at Auteuil in March – and was also a winner at the same track in 2013. He’s a speculative selection to start the meeting in a race where the favourite is double figure odds on BETDAQ.
4:15 Three.ie Handicap Chase (Grade C) (4yo+, 2m, 17 runners)
Mallowney runs in handicap company for the first time over fences and is a place only selection in a very trappy contest. His jumping over fences has generally been spot on apart from when he was tried at the highest level when he fell in the Arkle at Leopardstown in January. He was still running a good race at the time and went on to run well in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan when second to Bright New Dawn.
4:50 Avon Ri Corporate & Leisure Resort Chase (Cross Country) (5yo+, 4m 1f, 19 runners)
Course previous experience in this race is usually a big positive and I’m sticking with the 2012 winner Uncle Junior to go in again. He couldn’t really get competitive in the Cheltenham cross-country race but could easily come back to form today over this marathon trip. Now a 13-year-old, Uncle Junior was a faller in this last year. A small win bet is my recommendation.
5:30 Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 3m, 10 runners)
Quevega. What more can be said ? An unbeaten run stretching back five years and bidding today for a five-timer in this race. She is the classic exchange horse. Around 2.07 – a lay or a play ? Of the remarkable mare Mullins said: Mullins said: “It has been a very lucky race for us over the years and hopefully she will run well again. She is ready to go and is in great form.” I’ve given up trying to get her beat so am going ‘all-in’ with the NAP.
6:05 Naas Court Hotel And Il Fico Restaurant Handicap Hurdle (95-130) (4yo+, 3m, 27 runners)
I may be taking a tea break at this point !! A totally impossible 27 handicap hurdle to solve. My only angle is a place lay on Inis Meain at around 2.4. He scraped home when winning a far weaker handicap hurdle at Navan when last seen over jumps and his run on the flat was only five days ago. The main grounds for taking him on are simply price based with him racing off a career high mark today.
6:40 Ryanair Novice Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m, 8 runners)
Balder Succes is having a fantastic season and has been nibbled at in the market on a day of few moves (so far) at Punchestown from the original odds. The Alan King trained raider comes here after his first Grade 1 success at Aintree where he was driven clear on the flat to beat Simply Ned by five lengths. The obvious danger is Champagne Fever who went down fighting when second to outsider Western Warhorse in the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham.
7:15 Drinkwater Construction & Orchid Transport Mares Novice Hurdle (4yo+, 2m, 13 runners)
A tail swishing trait in a horse is rarely a positive and I’d be nervous about backing the Willie Mullins trained favourite Urticaire here. She swished her tail in the closing stages at Fairyhouse last time out when a well beaten third to stable companions Adriana Des Mottes and Beluckyagain. She has proved expensive to follow since making a winning Irish debut at Navan and I’m pressing the BETDAQ lay button today.
7:45 Kildare Post Flat Race (4-7yo, 2m, 11 runners)
A totally different shape to the race now that Tell Us More is out of the race. It was also DAQMAN’s banker bet of the day and with the way his naps have been going – surely this one would have dotted up. Willie Mullins, trainer of Tell Us More, is left with Most Peculiar but I now prefer Champoleon who made a winning debut at Naas, quickening up nicely. This race now looks a lot more open.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
WIN AND PLACE: Vive La France (3.40 Punchestown)
PLACE: Mallowney (4.15 Punchestown)
SMALL WIN: Uncle Junior (4.50 Punchestown)
NAP: Quevega (5.30 Punchestown)
PLACE LAY: Inis Meain (6.05 Punchestown)
WIN: Balder Succes (6.40 Punchestown)
LAY: Urticaire (7.15 Punchestown)
WIN: Champoleon (7.45 Punchestown)
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