Punchestown tips: Embittered can see off rivals to savour sweet success

Embittered can take the Grade 3 Betvictor Novice Chase for Joseph O’Brien and Bryan Cooper.

Back to Punchestown once more and Embittered can take the Grade 3 Betvictor Novice Chase for Joseph O’Brien and Bryan Cooper.

Three of the six runners in today’s race contested the Grade 3 novice chase at Roscommon and the selection finished a close second behind Exit Poll, with Bold Enough, who was sent off favourite that day, back in third place.

There was just a neck between Embittered and Exit Poll and the result of that is that the latter carries a 7lb penalty which will make confirming the form quite difficult. It could be argued that Embittered was a shade unlucky that day and can make amends this afternoon, with his old rivals most likely to fill the frame once more.

Willie Mullins and Sean O’Keeffe teamed up to take Sunday’s Munster National and can add today’s Grade 3 to their spoils with Brahma Bull. Though well beaten in the Galway Plate, he was back to form in the Kerry National, in which he found only Assemble too good. That was a smart effort considering he was carrying top weight and conceding a stone to the winner.

That form elevated his rating to 157, which makes him the highest rated runner in today’s race. Add in the fact he is in receipt of 8lbs from Galvin and also has a race-fitness edge over that rival, and it is difficult to oppose him, for all that Galvin is a prolific winner chasing a six-timer.

The latter is unbeaten over fences since finishing runner-up in the novice handicap chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.

Winner of the National Hunt Chase at this year’s Festival when last seen, he is respected for the fact he has a happy knack of finding a way to win, but this is quite a test for his return, and he can be forgiven if finding it beyond him.

The opening race, the BetVictor Proud To Support Irish Racing Maiden Hurdle, likely revolves around Barbados’ ability to make a transition to jumping. The Jessica Harrington-trained five-year-old is rated 106 on the Flat and if he could translate most of that to this discipline, he would be quite difficult to beat

However, My Mate Mozzie is a potentially smart sort and is narrowly preferred today. He won his only outing in a point to point and looked a nice sort when making a winning debut in a bumper at the Punchestown festival.

He then ran on the Flat and ran a superb race to run Phoenix Cowboy to half a length, the performance all the better for the fact they went quite slowly, he was caught out wide around Ballinrobe’s tight circuit, and yet pulled clear of the remainder.

The winner has since boosted the form on more than one occasion and, while that level of form falls short of what Barbados has achieved, it seems certain that My Mate Mozzie is also capable of better.

Being the proven winner over obstacles, he may be a touch of value to upset Barbados.

PUNCHESTOWN

Tommy Lyons

1:15 My Mate Mozzie (nb)

1:45 Romella

2:20 Mighty Meggsie

2:55 Rich Belief

3:30 Embittered (nap)

4:05 Brahma Bull

4:40 Lieutenant Highway

Next best

1:15 Barbados

1:45 Go Gill Go

2:20 Elegant Lass

2:55 Merry Poppins

3:30 Exit Poll

4:05 Galvin

4:40 Esperti