The second day of the Punchestown Festival features another card full of tricky puzzles, but Matty Sutcliffe is targeting carefully, with three best bets across the day.
2:30 Punchestown – Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle (4yo+) – Kap Vert 14/1 1pt EW 6 places
Phillip Hobbs won this with a novice in 2019 and his overall record here reads well, with a 20.79% strike rate and a £31.67 profit margin to a £1 stake. The Hobbs/White team have just two entered across the festival, and their son of Kapgarde, KAP VERT, looks set to run a big race in the opener.
He made a promising introduction for the yard in November when beaten ten lengths over a similar trip at Ffos Las in a race that’s thrown up winners, and he evidently came on for that run when winning next time out in good fashion at Exeter, drawing away to win by three lengths having travelled well in midfield throughout. The 2/5F was in second there, and while it was disappointing to see him beat, he proved that perhaps he’d bumped into one given he won his next two starts, latterly a Newbury handicap off top-weight now rated 132.
Mythical Moon was four lengths behind Kap Vert and has held his form well since with figures of 2232 in handicaps now rate 125, and the fourth, fifth, seventh and eight have all won since. Better was clearly expected when beaten nine lengths at 6/4 back over C&D in January, but the winner has done little wrong since, finishing runner up in. G2 next time out and fifth in an 18k Sandown c2 handicap last time out, and the second is now rated 135 with subsequent form figures of 213, latterly beaten two lengths in the G1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
He improved on RPR’s when beaten a similar distance at Sandown, but he was only seven lengths behind Diva Luna who was a gallant third in the Dawn Run next time out now rated 134, and the winner is rated 133 having finished third in the G2 Premier Novices’ Hurdle next time out and beaten only ten lengths in the G1 Top Novices’ at Aintree.
Better could’ve been expected on handicap debut for Kap Vert at Wetherby in March, but that came off top-weight from a break and he shaped as if the 2m5 1/2F trip was a touch too far at this stage.
He was dropped 2lbs for that effort, and Callum Pritchard gets the leg up for the first time who also takes off a handy 2lbs. The talented claimer has had a phenomenal season for the yard, with ten winners and six places from just twenty five runner (£11.61) so with that in mind, and all the aforementioned pieces of form, I’d be shocked if Kap Vert cannot be competitive off effectively a mark of 116 for a yard who knows how to win here.
3:05 Punchestown – Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final (4yo+) – Downmexicoway 6/1 1pt WIN
DOWNMEXICOWAY justified short odds at Down Royal in a qualifier for this contest when an eased down ten length winner, having made all and jumped smartly throughout to fend off the reopposing Scalpnagoon, who’s franked the form well since with a pair of subsequent victories.
Prior to that, he made a promising debut for Henry De Bromhead from a 550 day layoff when a head second to Scotcantou giving that one 12lbs, who although now in the same hands, has a stiff task in upholding that form as he’s 8lbs worse off.
Patient tactics evidently didn’t suit when a thirteen length seventh in G2 company, but he’s likely to shape much better from that 101 day layoff and his pedigree would suggest he can improve for this step up in trip.
3:40 Punchestown – Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle (4yo+) – Centreofattention 11/1 1pt WIN
This doesn’t appear to be a race that will require much ability to win given that favourite has form figures of PFF and Mullins’ second favourite pulled up in the Turners last time, thus CENTREOFATTENTION is given a chance for Nicky Henderson.
The son of Choeur Du Nord was one of my ten to follow over hurdles this season and its suffice to say there must’ve been something wrong in the interim, given he was entered in an Exeter novice won by Sporting John and Bravemansgame in recent years but wasn’t confirmed, before scoping wrong at Lingfield in November.
He was impressive in landing bumper last year despite looking still unfurnished, where I noted “He was very raw and babyish there, taking a while to wind up and get into top gear but he won a shade cosily under hands and heels, displaying a nice turn of foot once getting the hang of things despite running green once hitting the front.”
The form has at least worked out, with the second rated 121, the third 119, the fourth has won since and the fifth is now rated 116.
It’s unlike Nicky Henderson to be sending one like this to Punchestown on his hurdles debut, but he did have the well-touted East India Express in this contest last term and had Fils D’oudairies finish a half a length third in the race in 2022 when a 6/4F to add to his third with Baden in the 2016 renewal. He’s evidently capable of going well fresh, and has to be considered in a weak looking renewal.
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