Punchestown Monday Racing Preview and Tips – DS
Punchestown Monday Racing Preview and Tips
Unfortunately, neither Lingfield nor Chelmsford managed to beat the freeze. It might be worth putting those selections in your tracker for a different day. Another two meetings claimed by Jack Frost (as was Navan on Sunday) hopefully the Xmas schedule isn’t aversely affected by the weather. After a racing free Saturday and Sunday, Dave Stevos is itching to have a bet, get his Punchestown Monday racing tips below.
1.10 – 23.5F Handicap Hurdle (116 = 12 stone)
With no e/w value to be found in the opener, we start off with this 19 runner handicap hurdle. We backed Time Marches On here last time out. I was extremely frustrated by the ride he was given that day. He travelled very wide throughout and unsurprisingly emptied in the closing stages. He jumped and travelled supremely well and with Kieron Buckley’s 5lbs claim, he is effectively off 9lbs lower than last time.
As regular readers know, I usually go for horses at much bigger odds than this. However, I just can’t let a horse that I believe is a winner in waiting go unbacked, even at 9/1. If you are looking for one at huge odds that might sneak into the frame, Son Of Mahler fits the bill. A 10 race maiden over hurdles, he has yet to even place but he has a couple of runs that suggest he could be capable of running into the money.
Trip Might Suit
He’s been well beaten both starts this season, including here over 21f last time out. However, I thought he ran a promising race over 22f (yld/sft) at Downpatrick on his final run of last season, beat 12L into 6th off 95, and the way he ran suggested this trip might suit. On that occasion he was dropped out in rear by his jockey and as he was making ground, the pace quickened.
The son of Mahler got outpaced and couldn’t reach the leaders, but he galloped on well and he was only 6L behind the 3rd (Marshalled, rated 101) who won next time out and is now rated 120 over fences. With Mikey O’Connor’s claim he is effectively 9lbs lower than for that run and he is 1/2 when riding for McNiff. Hopefully his two runs this season were needed for fitness and if they were, he can stay on late for place money at odds of 40/1.
Punchestown Monday Racing Tips: Time Marches On e/w @ 9/1 NAP; Son Of Mahler e/w @ 40/1 (5 Places)
2.10 – John Durkan Punchestown Chase (Grade 1)
The Listed Mares Novice Hurdle made zero appeal from an e/w betting perspective. The market leaders will most likely come to the fore. Only seven run in the main event, the John Durkan, and we have a surprisingly decent spread of trainers represented. Willie Mullins is the only one with multiple runners, the hot fav Galopin Des Champs and the outsider, Haut En Couleurs.
Galopin is prohibitively short for his seasonal bow. Yes, he is a top class animal and his trainer will probably have him fit enough but he’s having his first run against more senior chasers, he fell on his penultimate start and with Fakir D’oudairies (and Lifetime Ambition) in opposition, he is unlikely to be gifted an easy lead. If all goes smoothly he should win but odds of 3/10? No thanks.
Track Concerns for Fakir
Fakir D’oudairies is next best in the betting and he too lacks a run. His form is top notch but he disappointed when 4th at similar odds in this last year (when he had a run). I’m not sure this is his track. In three chases at Punchestown he has been beaten 18.5L, 8L and 21L so it is hard to have much confidence in him today.
Fury Road was all out to score last time over this trip at Down Royal in G2 company. It was a pleasing performance but his best Novice form is over 3 miles plus. At the prices, I’m going to side with Lifetime Ambition in the hope he can chase home Galopin. He ran really well over 24f in the Troytown, finding only the hugely progressive The Big Dog too good. He beat Fury Road in a G1 Novice here over 24f last season when 2nd behind Capodanno and his 4L win over Darrens Hope when conceding 7lbs looks alright now too. Odds of 28/1 look too big and he is the e/w selection.
