McNamara upbeat about Brown
Although the five-year-old scored at the highest level in France last June, he has yet to notch a win on home shores in the best company.
Trainer Eric McNamara sent him to Aintree earlier in the month and he duly picked up a Listed hurdle but Strangely Brown will be stepping back up in trip to three miles this time.
“He’s in great form and did a lovely bit of work on Saturday morning,” said the handler.
“He’s come out of Aintree very well and he’s in superb form. He probably just comes right at this time of year as well and we’re really looking forward to running him on Thursday.
“I think the step up in trip will suit although he didn’t look too slow the last day at Aintree but ideally I think his best trip is probably somewhere around two miles and six.
“He ran in Leopardstown over three miles and stayed on really well to beat Solerina so I don’t think he will have a problem getting three miles. We are looking forward to it.”
Strangely Brown was second in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown last year but before his Aintree victory, he had not visited the winner’s enclosure in five starts.
McNamara’s charge had finished second in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham, some four lengths behind the hard-held Sky’s The Limit.
That runner has since disappointed at Aintree and McNamara is hoping to reverse the form. “On the book we’ve no chance of beating him. Sky’s The Limit gave us weight and hammered us at Cheltenham but I think we will take him on again,” he said
“I think Sky’s The Limit ran way below par at Aintree where we probably stepped up and ran a bit better so I don’t think there will be as much between them at Punchestown.”
