Irish weekend preview: State Man a cut above Punchestown rivals
There is Grade One action on both days of the weekend at Punchestown, though the Saturday card makes limited appeal with regard to punting. The feature on the programme is the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle and, barring accidents, State Man should prove far too good for his rivals.
Of course, Willie Mullins’ runner will be priced accordingly and will make little appeal to most punters. Bar bumping into one Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, last season was a perfect one for State Man as he won four Grade One events, including this race. Versatile with regard to ground and to the way the race is run, he brings a class edge to proceedings and can put another on the board for his trainer who has won 11 of the last 12 runnings of the race.
There is quite an open look to the Grade Two Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase, but Affordale Fury is a progressive sort and has strong claims. A useful sort whose novice hurdle season peaked with a runner-up finish in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, he made a winning start over fences, beating Favori De Champdou, who re-opposes, in a two-and-three-quarter-mile beginners’ chase at Galway. While his jumping wasn’t entirely fluent, he did the job in good style and will appreciate this slightly longer trip.
Flooring Porter made a belated winning debut over fences at Cheltenham and the form received a boost when the runner-up won next time. However, there were a couple of significant mistakes along the way, and his previous form tells us he is better going left-handed and on quicker ground than he is likely to encounter today. Sandor Clegane was extremely weak in the betting on his chasing debut but ran reasonably well and can be expected to be much better over this trip. He was just a neck behind the selection in the Albert Bartlett and can give him most to think about this time.
The nap goes to Poets Cottage, in the Colm Quinn BWM Novice Handicap Hurdle. Earlier this month, Noel Meade’s four-year-old made his seasonal debut and but for an indifferent round of jumping, it may well have been a winning one. In the circumstances, he did well to finish third to Conyers Hill. Entitled to be better for the run, and sure to appreciate this longer trip, he can get off the mark over hurdles. Sonny May has shown enough to suggest he will win races but might need this outing.
There will be plenty of short-priced runners on Sunday’s card at Punchestown, one of which will be Gold Cup champion Galopin Des Champs in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. Winner of this race last season when he was just out of novice company, he is impossible to oppose even if there is a slight concern that winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup may have left a mark.
Stablemate Tullyhill will be a very short-priced runner in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle and ought to have little trouble obliging. The Gordon Elliott-trained Imagine ran out an easy winner of his beginners’ chase and can follow up in the Grade Two BetVictor Craddockstown Novice Chase.
On Sunday’s card in Cork, Lucky Max can put a first chase win on his card by taking the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Handicap Chase. Last time out, he really caught the eye finishing fourth behind Found A Fifty. He steps into handicap company this time but there is certainly scope for improvement in him as a chaser and he is preferred to Percy Warner.
Point-to-point, bumper, and hurdle winner Hartur D’arc can get off the mark over fences in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Beginners’ Chase. His jumping lacked fluency, even though he didn’t make any bad mistake, when he was just touched off on his chasing debut, but he showed a great attitude. That experience and this longer trip should prompt improvement and he can take this at the expense of Macdermott.
Selections
11:40 Mighty Bandit
12:13 Predators Gold
12:48 Gaelic Warrior
1:23 Affordale Fury (nb)
1:58 Ha D’or
2:35 State Man
3:08 Poets Cottage (nap)
3:43 The Enabler
Next best
11:40 Lark In The Mornin
12:13 Doctor Elvis
12:48 Inothewayurthinkin
1:23 Sandor Clegane
1:58 Idas Boy
2:35 Pied Piper
3:08 Sonny May
3:43 I Am Mimi
Selections
12:00 Enola
12:35 Readin Tommy Wrong
1:10 Dgalwaygallivantor
1:45 Cinsa
2:20 Halka Du Tabert
2:50 Lucky Max (nap)
3:25 Hartur D’arc (nb)
Next best
12:00 Tactical Affair
12:35 Walk Away Harr
1:10 Housemartin
1:45 Tomjackwilliam
2:20 Night And Day
2:50 Percy Warner
3:25 Macdermott
Selections
11:40 Blast Of Koeman
12:10 Tullyhill
12:45 Bob Cigar
1:20 Shecouldbeanything
1:55 Imagine
2:30 Galopin Des Champs
3:00 Jody Ted
3:35 Soir De Garde
Next best
11:40 Vital Island
12:10 Shannon Royale
