Let’s Dance looks to be my best partner
I start off on Let’s Dance this afternoon at Punchestown. She can make the most of a handy weight allowance in the Grabel Hurdle. She was a decent juvenile last year, though the juvenile form has taken a bit of bashing thus far this season.
However, she’s in really good form, has loads of experience, despite being a novice, and could be my best chance of the weekend.
The Beginners’ Chase, in which I ride Haymount, looks a very good race. To me, Coney Island would probably be the strongest of the opposition, though Woodland Opera looked a very good horse at times last season. It’s a hot contest, but no more than you would expect at this time of the year.
Haymount’s last run of the year was a good one, behind Cup Final in a competitive handicap at this track, and he has schooled well over fences. He would probably be the most forward of our novice chasers and I think he will give a good account of himself, but it will take a career-best effort to win.
Senewalk, who runs in the maiden hurdle, goes well at home. He starts off over two-and-a-half miles and, while I wouldn’t say he needs that trip, I can’t see it being a bother to him. We’re happy with him. We run a couple of nice maidens this weekend and, hopefully, a few will collect, starting with this fella.
I have five rides on a great card tomorrow at Punchestown, starting off on Ball D’Arc in the Craddockstown. He won his beginners’ chase well at Wexford, but I don’t think Brian Cooper had a sleepless night thinking about which one of these he was going to ride. He is on Identity Thief, who was a very high-class hurdler, and I thought was very good on his first start over fences. He will be hard to beat and, if Ball D’Arc could be placed I’d be happy.
I’m on A Toi Phil in the Florida Pearl Novice Chase, and I give him a sneaky chance. I thought he won cosily enough at Down Royal, and should have improved for the run.
Bryan certainly had a tougher decision to make in this one, and has gone with Disko, who impressed me at this track on his chasing debut. He has course and distance form, and looked a good horse last season before he got hurt, but, we thought a lot of A Toi Phil when he was at Willie’s, and he should go well.
Nichols Canyon is our leading representative in the Morgiana Hurdle, as Faugheen has a bruise in his foot which hasn’t come right, and Annie Power didn’t spark during the week.
Nichols won the race last year, and ran a cracker when third in the Champion Hurdle. He was no match for Annie Power in Aintree, and then headed to America, where he was third behind Rawnaq.
He has been working well, and seems to be in really good order, but it will be interesting to see whether or not he can give 10lbs to Jer’s Girl. I’d be hoping he would be good enough to beat Semper Medici and Simenon on form, while Ivanovich Gorbatov will have to improve a helluva lot on his performance in Naas. You’d imagine he will, but this is a big step up again, getting only 3lbs.
Jer’s Girl is the dark one. She stepped out of juvenile company when winning the mares’ hurdle in Fairyhouse, and won the Grade 1 two-and-a-half-mile novice at Punchestown. She shaped like a stayer, so two miles may be a bit sharp for her, but she’s an exciting lady.
I’m on Turcagua in the two-six maiden hurdle. He only had two runs last year, in the Cheltenham Bumper and the Champion Bumper at Punchestown. He is working well, has schooled well, and it doesn’t look the strongest maiden hurdle of the weekend, so I’d be very hopeful.
El Vasco ran in Fairyhouse last week, but the ground was too quick and he never let himself down on it. He’ll be a big price, but could outrun his odds, and is an each-way bet for punters.
Willie runs three in Cork, starting with Timi Roli in the four-year-olds’ maiden. We had Peace News, which Henry De Bromhead runs, and thought a lot of him, but we also think highly of Timi Roli, so expect an interesting race.
Bacardys was a high-class bumper horse last year, and starts off over hurdles in the two-mile maiden. He seems to have strengthened up well over the summer, and his work has been good, as has his schooling, and he should win.
Isleofhopendreams, who runs in the rated novice chase, has been a hard horse to train, but seems to be in good order.
I think the Betfair Chase at Haydock will be an interesting race, but the ground is going to be very testing and that will favour Coneygree over Cue Card but, having spoken to Paul Nicholls yesterday morning, he’s very bullish about Silviniaco Conti. He thinks he has turned inside out since Down Royal, and will outrun his price, and be in the shake-up.
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I’ll be galloping out of Punchestown after Senewalk’s race this afternoon to get to the Aviva in time to see the rugby. I’ll have to get in before kick-off to see the haka. I’m hoping Ireland can repeat the dose, after their historic victory over the All Blacks in America, but I’d imagine it will be a bit more difficult.
They have changed their second row, and Ireland’s dominance in the scrum mightn’t be as easy to attain. But I’m looking forward to that, and then it will back to business tomorrow morning.
