Day Three Punchestown Festival Preview - 29/04/21

With no bet in the first race of the day we move straight onto the big fielded Grade B Handicap Chase over two miles where we have picked out two nice each way priced horses.

Entoucas for JP McManus and Joseph O'Brien is our first selection, who all season had been primed for a crack in the Grand Annual off a lowly mark and it almost paid off with him just being beaten in a photo-finish.

All season long the gelding had placed in big handicap company, having four tries over fences and always running credibly whilst sneaking under the radar of the handicapper.

He headed into the Cheltenham festival with a live chance on the Wednesday and jumping the last looked well beat, but made up a huge amount of ground to take it to the judges, who unfortunately did not give him the verdict.

He has only gone up 2lb for that run and if none the worse for that effort then he has a live chance once more.

At a slightly bigger price is the Henry De Bromhead trained Raya Time who makes his handicap debut in this event today and could just be weighted to strike.

The gelding has been seen four times this term, making his seasonal debut at Killarney in October after a year off the track and unfortunately falling when in second.

He then went to Navan and finished mid-field in a Beginners' Chase that saw the likes of Entoucas and Blackbow at the top of the market.

Raya Time's best run of the season came two starts ago when third in a Beginners' Chase behind Front View and he then backed that up last time out at Fairyhouse when placing again.

He makes his handicap debut off an extremely lowly mark and is the choice of Rachael Blackmore, who could have gone on others from the yard.

Next up is the 4m2f Cross Country Chase and the most likely winner of the event on form is the John McConnell trained Some Neck.

The 10 year old has been largely consistent this term, getting his season properly kickstarted in December at Cheltenham when landing the 3m6f Cross Country Chase, getting better the further he went.

He then tried his hand in a Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown, which looked a prep run for the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

It seemed to work really well as last time out he was a fair third behind Tiger Roll and Easysland, who are a class above in that division.

That is the best form on offer heading into the event and if getting the extra few furlongs is the one to beat.

The feature event on day three is the Grade One Champion Stayers' Hurdle over three miles and we can't look past the favourite Flooring Porter.

A graduate from handicaps for Gavin Cromwell, Flooring Porter signed off his handicap exploits with a dominant front running display at Navan.

He beat the Pertemps final favourite The Bosses Oscar by 12 lengths giving him 1lb and showed just how big his engine was.

He took the plunge into Grade One company on his second to last run in the Christmas Hurdle and caught the field out with his extravagant front running style.

Bouncing out, making all to beat The Storyteller by six lengths. He then took it one step further in his career to land a hat-trick of wins and a quick-fire double in Group Ones when taking the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival, not being caught from the front.

He has some impressive form on paper, and has to be the one to beat if sticking to his usual front running tactics.

The three mile Grade B Handicap Hurdle comes next and the horse that could have the most improvement from his current mark looks to be Dallas Des Pictons for Denise Foster.

The eight year old has been a decent horse for Gigginstown House Stud over the years, being a very smart novice hurdler back in 2019 when landing two decent handicap at Leopardstown and Punchestown before heading to the Cheltenham festival and finishing a narrow second to Early Doors in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle.

Since then he has found things slightly difficult, being stepped up over fences and not taking to them at all and this term he has been switched back to hurdles.

Having very much lost his way, he was last seen finishing a good staying on fifth off a tough weight in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.

Today he has the handy 7lb claimer Jordan Gainford on board and is also 5lb lower in the handicap than that run.

Overall he is 12lb lower on Thursday and that could see him play a big part at a nice each way price.

The final Grade One on the afternoon is the small fielded Ryanair Novice Chase over two miles and there should only be one winner of this race.

Energumene has been very lightly raced for his age, being seen twice in bumpers when looking like a nice prospect and only one over hurdles, when again looking like a very likeable type after bolting up by 19 lengths at Gowran.

Mullins decided to send him chasing this season again at Gowran Park and he went on to hose up in a Beginners Chase over 2m4f by 18 lengths.

When analysing the sectional time of that race the numbers look really smart and it was interesting to see him drop down to, two miles.

Last time out he headed to Naas in a tough Novice Chase against Captain Guinness and stablemate Blackbow and went on to jump the field into submission.

He took his form to the next level next time out when obliterating a good field by 10 lengths eased down in the Grade One Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

He is a bright talent in this division and looks to the best of the Irish, holding the best form over fences heading into the event.

He missed the Arkle at the Cheltenham festival through a slight setback and if fully revved up for this event should be tough to beat.

The penultimate event of the afternoon at Punchestown is the Listed Mares Novice Hurdle over two miles and Magic Daze for Henry De Bromhead could be a big player.

The mare has been seen four times during her career, winning a point to point in October and then making her rules debut in December, which saw her finish third behind Grade One winner Gaillard Du Mesnil and Mr Incredible who has also since won a race.

Magic Daze also franked the form next time out when getting off the mark in fine style at Clonmel, finding plenty in the heavy ground.

The five year old was last seen stepping up into Grade Two company at the Cheltenham festival in the Mares' Novices Hurdle and she finished a superb second behind stablemate Telmesomethinggirl.

The form of that run sets the standard here and if improving once more should go close again.

The final pick from us on day three comes in the Grant Thornton INH Flat Race over two miles and Grand Jury could round off a special day for Henry De Bromhead.

The five year old will be ridden by Jamie Codd and on both his starts in point to points to date has shown a large amount of ability.

In November 2020 he was first seen at Turtulla in three mile event and he ran out a good five lengths winner and then in a flat P2P at Punchestown he made it two from two in comfortable fashion.

He has some key winning experience and having won at the track before he is a leading player.