SEAN - Punchestown 3.40 Handicap Hurdle - Series Final - 2 miles 4 furlongs - 25 run (with reserves) - Good to Yielding

 

A case of sorting the wheat from the chaff and the only ones really considered at very big prices are Conron who is top weight and only having second run in over 550 days; it may need more runs but on best form prior to the brea would hold chances here, one to track forwards when fully race fit if showing any signs of past ability. A couple of unexposed types for peter Fahey who could outrun odds are Skippin Court on handicap debut and Lucky Tenner who has some placed CD form and off a nice mark but yet to encounter Good ground. Both of those too will be added to Trackers for summer jumping / next season

 

Mullins runs a pair of very unexposed types who have clearly had niggling injuries in Dads Lad and ROCK ROAD, I've heard more than one reliable source suggest that Rock Road may be the most forward of the pair and quietly fancied. At the top end of the market is Guiri who won this last year but up 6lbs today, Life In The Park who makes handicap debut and could really be anything, the same applies to Midnight it Is, whilst the favourite is the David Pipe trained THANKSFORTHEHELP who is owned by JP McManus and who many suggest is laid out for the race. It's hard for me to quantify UK form though

 

I narrowed my own shortlist down to 7 horses (not including THANKSFORTHEHELP) who is so well backed he may be worth a "win saver".

 

Of them I most like OUTBACK FLYER who won last time out, another Peter Fahey horse and one who could still have some significant improvement and given a chance by the handicapper. In pure form terms I'm also very keen on LIMERICK LACE who has run twice at the Course winning an NHFlat race on the inner track and a Hurdle. It fell last time upped in trip and grade but ran well for a long way. Gavin Cromwell should have it cherry fit though and the form of the race it won on penultimate start is working out well with the runner up and third both coming out since and winning well and the mark of 120 on that basis looks very fair. It does have an entry later in the week but if it runs one i like a lot.

 

I then have a list of 5 that I can see running big races but harder to split them. WHOSGOTYANOW has had a couple of nice Novice wins, had a prep race and interesting of this mark , HUMBLE GLORY looks primed for Elliott having won off 114 and running off 118 with a 4lbs Claimer. They would be my shrapnel picks in order of preference.

 

If LIMERICK LEADER did take the alternative race option and not run my reserve would be KRABAT who has been Chasing but reverts to Hurdles and was runner up in a big field here on its last Hurdle race off a mark of 108 and runs off 112  with a 4lbs claim!.

 

I also looked very closely at ROCK ROAD for Mullins (already mentioned whispers about that one ) and another who is subject of interest from a few shrewd observers is Jessie Harringtons Edison Kent, who hasn't delivered much since an impressive Novice win a year ago. Both of those though are more "talking horses" than based on form.

 

TRACKERS - Outback Flyer + Limerick Lace / Shrapnel - Whosgotyanow + Humble Glory (reserve if LL a non runner is Krabat)

 

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Sean - Punchestown 7.05 - Handicap Chase - Grade A - 2 miles 5 furlongs - 13 run

 

(Awaiting full notes for this one as mentioned above but the strong fancies are FOXY JACKS the 2021 winner and ANNAMIX who was 5th last year)