Equinties - Punchestown day 4

Gm Equinauts

Punchestown day 4 or CONSTITUTION HILL day, either way, the Irish meeting will see a record number tune in to watch Hendo’s superstar attempt to get his champion status back on track.

Racing should want to see him stand up and win. Or at least stand up. His last two races promised so much and delivered so little, a bitter disappointment for all. Were also lucky to see him walk away unscathed.

LOSSIEMOUTH doesn’t line up in this and STATE MAN offers up a re-match, but the excitement of these huge clashes has boiled over. It’s past that point now. We can’t believe we’re saying this, but it’s simply come to fans just wanting to see CONSTITUTION HILL complete.

Come on, big boy - let’s do this.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

PUNCHESTOWN DAY 3 REVIEW

Did much happen yesterday?

Well, MAJBOROUGH’s massive engine got the job done in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase despite some awful jumping, and TEAHUPOO won back-to-back Champion Stayers Hurdles. Sometimes the right results do happen!

MAJBOROUGH will need to sort his jumping out, especially if he is to return to Cheltenham next season because those fences are unforgiving. He got away with it yesterday, but he leapt out to his left a lot, and he was less than convincing over the last. He’s still young, but this is a bad habit to have now.

Any eye-catchers from that race? BROOKIE ran a big, big race for Anthony Honeyball, and he was probably a bit unlucky not to finish second in the end. Honeyball put his big boy pants on yesterday but in doing so might have ruined his mark for next season. What could they do with him? Haldon Gold Cup, maybe. If not, get his mark down to the mid-140s and return to Punchestown next year in a handicap.

As for the Champion Stayers Hurdle, there is literally nothing to talk about it. TEAHUPOO was good, and he handled the ground nicely. JETARA ran another big race to finish third for the mares, and she’s had a pretty big season. She’s probably worth watching next season as she will win lesser races.

It was a good day for the Brits too. Nicky Henderson training the 1-2 in the three-mile handicap hurdle caught the headlines, ONE BIG BANG ran a big race for James Owen in third. He obviously came over for a reason, but it doesn’t always work out. For Owen, he kind of did as he ran a big race, and he stuck on nicely to get ahead of KARL DES TOURELLES after the last. He’ll be a nice horse to follow.

The best stuff happened in the last race though as British trainers Alan King and Gary Moore landing at the 1-2 in the bumper but the result perhaps one Gary Moore will always look back on and think ‘ffs’.

The Moore trained EL CAIROS is a very, very smart flat horse with a huge engine. His legendary owner rider, David Mad Maxwell, held tight on the reigns and coasted to the front with every one in behind hard the pump only for his mount. EL CAIROS then ran a bit green, perhaps not knowing what to do in front and, well, Maxwell didn’t have the legs to keep him true and they ended up giving the race away:

Maxwell is living rent free in a lot of punters’ heads right now and we don’t know why. He’s a superb feature of National Hunt racing and should be simply enjoyed. How people get so angry over him honestly blows our minds.

Now, CONSTITUTION HILL day. Let’ get it started…

PUNCHESTOWN DAY 4

16.50 GRADE 2 MARES CHASE

This could be quite cut and dry. Our Cheltenham NAP DINOBLUE heads the market in the Mares Chase, and she should win this.

She was one of the performances of the Cheltenham Festival, and connections know that she stays the distance well. She handles good ground well, and she already has the beating of a few in here.

ALLEGORIE DE VASSY and BRIDES HILL were behind her at Cheltenham (ALLEGORIE DE VASSY fell, tbf), though the former came a neck away from beating DINOBLUE at Naas in February. That was on softer ground, in fairness, and she probably does like softer conditions. However, she was only a length down when falling at the last at Cheltenham.

BRIDES HILL will love the nice ground, but she has eight-and-a-half lengths to find. She won this last year, and the cheekpieces go on for the first time, but there is potentially a worry about Gavin Cromwell’s stable form.

DINOBLUE also beat SHECOULDBEANYTHING at Cheltenham, and there was a 14-length difference between the pair. She will like the ground, but she’ll need a huge effort.

MUST BE OBEYED and BROOMFIELD BIJOU are rated 124 and 128, respectively. That means they are 27 and 23 pounds inferior to DINOBLUE with the weights adjusted. That’s a lot, and says enough.

Verdict: She’s so short at 2/1 on but DINO BLUE was our girl at Cheltenham and she should win again today. One for the perms!

18.05 GRADE 1 CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE

As much as the race has short prices, this is a competitive affair and not one to miss. Namely because Maxwell is lining up on Derham’s best horse.

THE YELLOW CLAY and FINAL DEMAND were 2-3 behind THE NEW LION in the Turners, and on the face of it, that looks like good form.

THE NEW LION did THE YELLOW CLAY for speed at Cheltenham, which would be a small worry for the test of Punchestown, but FINAL DEMAND doesn’t exactly have tonnes of speed either. 

THE YELLOW CLAY also has good for with FLEUR IN THE PARK, who ran a huge race behind JASMIN DE VAUX in the week, and he should handle the ground.
FINAL DEMAND is no certainty on fast ground, and both of his last runs have suggested he would prefer three miles. Could he be caught for a turn of foot?

HONESTY POLICY nearly beat JASMIN DE VAUX earlier in the week, and FUNICULI FUNICULA ran a bug race behind him at Aintree. That’s an interesting form line, but we’re not convinced about the form just yet.

BELLOCCIO has come in for some money at the big prices, and his third at Fairyhouse in a Grade 2 earlier in the month got a boost thanks to IRANCY on day one.
It’s hard to assess his form, but he likes good ground and is pretty unexposed. He was soundly beaten twice this season, which would be a worry.

TRIPOLI FLYER and QUEENSBURY BOY for our man Mad Max represent the UK, and both would have chances.

Let’s start with David Maxwell’s mount. Harry Derham has always liked him and told us this was his best horse. He ran a sound race at Punchestown in a bumper last year. This is a huge step up, and his form doesn’t indicate he can win this, despite his unexposed nature. He long term plan is the Hunters Chase at Cheltenham one day, obviously. That’s Maxwell’s one big aim - to win that!

TRIPOLI FLYER is a bleeder, and he was really bad at Aintree. Fergal O’Brien doesn’t know why he was so bad at Aintree, so the trainer is upping him in trip to try and get him into a nice rhythm. He needs to bounce back big time! We’d love to see him at his best.

EASTERN LEGEND shouldn’t win this, MR PERCY beat EASTERN LEGEND at Fairyhouse earlier this month though his other form isn’t good enough, and LOVELY HUNTING is an unexposed horse. He won a Naas maiden hurdle in February, but he’ll probably lack the experience.

Verdict: THE YELLOW CLAY’s Cheltenham form is brilliant and that’s the target but he’s no fun at 11/8. Two ew’s to take him on would be BELLOCCIO and TROPOLI FLYER. The former was running on very well behind IRANCY who won earlier in the week. If he can smooth out his hurdling (he jumped the penultimate hurdle badly lto which cost him) then this track could really suit and looks an ew play should THE YELLOW CLAY not show up and the latter was backed like defeat was out the question the last day and we think he might show up better going right handed.

18.40 GRADE 1 PUNCHESTOWN CHAMPION HURDLE

This is it. The race we’ve been waiting to see for a while.
CONSTITUTION HILL is racing in Ireland today, which is huge. His last race in Ireland came in 2021 in a point-to-point when beaten by ANYHARMINASKING. Lol.

So, how to assess him? He’s fallen on his last two starts, both times when taking a chance and finding out the wrong way. In the grand scheme of things, yes, he’s fallen on his last two runs, but he also stood up on his previous 10 hurdles starts, and he will learn from his mistakes, one would hope.

If at his best, which is still not certain, he should win this.

STATE MAN should have won the Champion Hurdle, but like CONNY HILL, he fell. Mind you, his fall was more dramatic, and it contributed to a manic finish in the race. He looked a bit below his best when winning the Irish Champion Hurdle, but once LOSSIEMOUTH fell that day, all he needed to do was coast home. Remember STATE MAN being well-beaten by CONNY HILL in 2023? That could very easily happen again.

GOLDEN ACE is the reigning Champion Hurdle champion. Still sounds weird! She shouldn’t have won the race, she got by default for simply standing, so that would have to be a negative with her today. If the front two stand up, she will have a tough time winning this.

KARGESE is an interesting runner. Imagine if she wins this having been sent off as big as 3/1 for the County Hurdle!

She was very good off 141 at Cheltenham, but beating NDAAWI when giving 1lb away is a different league to this race. ABSURDE was in third, so that form has worked, but she will need a career-best

BREAK MY SOUL ran a fine race at Aintree behind LOSSIEMOUTH, but she will need to improve 20lbs at least, and BOTTLER’SECRET shouldn’t win this.

Verdict: Please, please CONSTITUTION HILL. Stand up and show the world how good you are. The very best result would be for Jeremy Scott’s GOLDEN ACE to follow him home in second.

RISK ON

13.25 HAVANA HURRICANE

This chap is working better than Eve’s 2yo who ran well at Ascot earlier in ther week when stuffed by the draw. This is a much lesser race with the Hannon horse to beat making 9/1 ew a worthwhile play.

14.35 SHAGRAAN & 17.25 KINGMAKER

A dirty ew double here on two 7/2 shots making a juicy 18/1 double. SHAGRAAN is reportedly working well with BIG MOJO who won well the other day and Balding’s is expected to improve for the step up in trip.

FAVES ACCA

14.20 COSMIC YEAR, 16.45 ROSAY AFFAIR, 16.50 DINO BLUE and 18.40 CONSTITUTION HILL. We’re going to play four warm shorties in a four fold. All solid, all the horses to beat. Pays 12/1.

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