Punchestown 4.15 - Novice Handicap Chase - (Listed) - 2 miles 4 and 1/2 furlongs - 17 run - Yielding (Showers)

 

There are quite a few in here who haven't yet looked entirely comfortable over chase Fences, a few whose Chase form looks promising but in small fields where there hasn't yet been too much pace pressure on their jumping and one exposed one who really does jump off the page, so advice is to get an early price.

 

Mullins runs a few and whilst Mister Policeman is favourite and has form figures of 1-3-1-1- it does make handicap debut off a mark that is far from lenient and has to prove stamina at this trip too. I actually prefer the form of his second string TACTICAL MOVE whose form has been franked this week and who has at least proven stamina and jumped perfectly well.

 

Of the others, Percival Legallois can be a white knuckle ride and if getting round would clearly be a danger but they will go a good lick here and any errors will be exposed. Sir Psycho for the UK has a sporting each way chance, Arctic Bresil found it all a bit too much at Cheltenham and may come back to the fore back on home turf and is feared. Hardwired has mopped up 4 of it's last 6 races in lesser company but moves into far deeper waters off the back of an interested handicapper!. Hgranca De Thaix won last time and any further progress may put it into place contention.

 

Spirit of Legend is in the TRACKER and has not yet convinced he's as good over fences as Hurdles. The same applies to Duffle Coat for Elliott and the "reserve" will be Dreal Deal who narrowly missed being my 4th rated and together with Captains Nephew is the one at a price I fear the most.

 

My clear second rated though, very similar type to Maxxum yesterday in terms of exposed form is MARS HARPER. He is running off a winning mark of 139, has far more experience Chasing and in big fields than any of the rest and let's be clear has been in far deeper races than this and although not looking like winning hasn't been outclassed either. Its got Course form and 40/1 seems at least double what it should be in my mind.

 

The other one to note is the Mullins third string FEU BU BRESIL who just got the nod over Dreal Deal @ 20/1 (odds to 5th), it's not yet really clicked jumping wise, has to combat a bigger field than normal and also the trip is a bit of a query, but there is something there in the previous race playbacks that suggests to me that when everything clicks, there is massive improvement there and actually a bigger field might be the making of this one, where it has less time to think and run more con=mbatively than tactically. If we had a non runner though Dreal Deal would be the reserve pick. (Sean)