Needs Must and Speculateur should deliver for Gordon Elliott at Punchestown

That Danny Feeling can land the spoils for Terence O'Brien in the ThatPrizeGuy.co.uk Maiden Hurdle

Needs Must won at the fourth time of asking at Fairyhouse in January. Pic: Healy Racing Photo.

He may have lost the Grade One battle to Willie Mullins at the Dublin Racing Festival but five wins across the two days was a fine return from Gordon Elliott and the Meath trainer has a number of good chances on Wednesday’s Punchestown card.

Needs Must could be his best chance of the day and he gets the vote in the ThatPrizeGuy.co.uk Novice Handicap Hurdle.

Seventh in each of his first three starts, the selection was well backed to make it fourth time lucky at Fairyhouse last month and he did just that, getting the better of Pat’s Legacy in the process. He may be able to build on that success on Wednesday.

Elliott and Jack Kennedy also have leading claims in the ThatPrizeGuy.co.uk Maiden Hurdle where Speculateur, a promising second on hurdles debut at Clonmel last month, may be able to get the better of the Mullins-trained Too Bossy For Us.

Agameoftwohalves is another with decent claims for Cullentra House in the 2.13pm contest. The JP McManus-owned five-year-old finished a distant fourth at Fairyhouse last month but stepping back up in trip may see him to better effect.

The nap comes in the penultimate race of the day, a maiden hurdle just shy of three miles, where the consistent That Danny Feeling can land the spoils for Terence O’Brien.

On his most recent outing, at Clonmel at the start of December, this horse finished second of 18, shaping as though a step up in trip might bring more improvement. He gets that here and may be able to take advantage.

Some old favourites run in the first race of the day, the ThatPrizeGuy.co.uk P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase, and Vanillier, runner-up in the 2023 Aintree Grand National, may be able to get the better of Fakir d’Oudairies, a horse who has been running in point-to-points for Enda Bolger since leaving Joseph O’Brien.

Punchestown

12.28 Vanillier 

1.03 Gaoth Chuil 

1.38 Speculateur 

2.13 Agameoftwohalves 

2.48 Needs Must (NB) 

3.23 That Danny Feeling (Nap) 

3.58 Watching The Clock 

Next best 

12.28 Fakir d’Oudairies 

1.03 Crecora Hills 

1.38 Too Bossy For Us 

2.13 Kashchei 

2.48 Lumiere Du Large 

3.23 Frankie’s Freebie 

3.58 Pebble Bleu