Day one of the Punchestown Festival is competitive from front to back, as Matty Sutcliffe takes aim at the handicaps and one of the bumpers for his opening Punchestown value bets.
3:05 Punchestown – Albert Bartlett Triple Crown Series Final Handicap Hurdle (4yo+) – Kilta 33/1 0.5pt EW 6 places
KILTA has form figures of 1272 in handicap hurdles and the seventh came in a competitive C2 Series Final contest at Kelso last April when beaten just six lengths despite losing a shoe, and a a race of this nature looks sure to suit his hold up style.
The son of Curtain Time was a huge eye-catcher in the qualifier for this contest when a staying on second to the progressive Blue Hop, and a 3lbs swing with that one makes him overpriced at 33/1. He came wide around runners there with the first and third both seemingly favoured by their inside pitch, so it can be marginally upgraded.
That was his first start over hurdles since last April, and while his form tailed off over fences, he did manage to land a Cartmel Novice chase from 12lbs out of the weights with the third winning three times since climbing 13lbs in the weights, so a mark of 110 back over hurdles looks workable. His second to Yealand last March reads well when pulling eighteen lengths clear with the winner who’s now rated 120 over fences, and now is generally the time to catch the Sam England stable who had eight of their thirty four runners last May return to the winners enclosure.
3:40 Punchestown – Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) (4yo+) – Irish Panther 11/1 1pt EW 5 places
IRISH PANTHER was a bet for the column in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and was far from disgraced in a competitive looking renewal, beaten seven lengths into tenth having raced in rear and wide throughout. The form’s already working out, with the third winning the Sussex Champion Hurdle beating the ninth and sixth that day, and the seventh has come out and won the Scottish Champion Hurdle.
Lark In The Mornin was in 14th that day and has been well backed into favourite here, which makes Irish Panther look overpriced at 11/1.
The Lucarno gelding has some smart back form, finishing second to Fact To File and Third to Walk Away Harry in bumpers, and the first time hood appeared to suit him well when staying on from rear to be beaten a length by the right two horses in the market in the 3/1F McLaurey and the 9/2 Storm Heart.
While he remains a maiden, he looks well treated off a mark of 125 on numerous pieces of form, and this step back up to this trip for the first time since his nine-length second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Farren Glory will bode well judged on his effort at Cheltenham.
5:25 Punchestown – Goffs Defender Bumper (4yo) – Brosna Shine 50/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
A flyer is taken here on BROSNA SHINE, who cost £105,000 as a store at the Goffs Arkle sale last June and is bred to play a part in bumpers.
Progeny of No Risk At All often come up trumps in the sphere, and her dam was a good mare for Lucy Wadham, herself a dual bumper winner and filling the frame in her two others. Her half sister, Baby Sage, was also a bumper winner on debut so solely based on pedigree, she looks slightly overpriced at 50/1.
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