Impervious is going for G1 glory on Sunday

Impervious in her old silks

Irish racing Punchestown Sunday | Free preview and tips

By Donn McClean

Horse Racing

Sun January 15, 2023 · 3y ago

Our man in Ireland Donn McClean previews Sunday's card at Punchestown featuring the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novices' Hurdle.

Sunday: Impaire aims to Passe Moscow Flyer test

Willie Mullins has won the Grade 2 Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle eight times, including six times in the last 10 years, and he has a big chance of enhancing that record further when Impaire Et Passe lines up for the feature race at Punchestown on Sunday.

Winner of an AQPS bumper over a mile and a half on his only run in France, Simon Munir & Isaac Souede’s horse was strong in the market before his Irish debut in a maiden hurdle at Naas just before Christmas, and he duly justified the support. Prominent from early, his jumping was very good for a hurdling debutant. He joined the front rank at the final flight, the usual third last, where he made his only real semblance of an error, and he came away from his rivals in the home straight, quickening up smartly from the by-passed last to put 18 lengths between himself and his closest pursuer by the time he reached the winning line.

There may not have been strength in-depth in that maiden hurdle, but Impaire Et Passe couldn’t have been much more impressive than he was, and the time of the race was very good. There is no knowing how good he could be.

He will be dropping down in trip on Sunday, from two miles and three furlongs to two miles and, while that shouldn’t really be an issue for him, he showed such an impressive turn of foot at Naas, it does present would-be ante-post angle-seekers with a quandary. He got two miles and three furlongs well last month, but the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Hurdle is usually a pointer to the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, especially when you are talking Willie Mullins. Vautour and Douvan completed the Moscow Flyer/Supreme double in 2014 and 2015 respectively, and the 2016 Moscow Flyer winner Min only gave best to Altior in the Supreme. And last year’s Moscow Flyer winner Dysart Dynamo was still travelling well in the Cheltenham curtain-raiser when he came down at the third last flight, for all that he may not have troubled the winner, as things turned out.

Impaire Et Passe will be tested on Sunday, because The Model Kingdom is good, three for three in bumpers and rated 131 after two wins over hurdles, and Shecouldbeanything is still living up to her name. Winner of her only point-to-point, Gordon Elliott’s mare was an easy winner of her bumper on her debut under Rules at Limerick in November, and she kept on well to win her maiden hurdle on her hurdling debut back at Limerick over Christmas. She is unbeaten and she could step forward again.

Whatever wins the Grade 3 Madigan Group Novice Chase later on the day will almost certainly have to step forward on what he or she has achieved to date, because it is a deep race.

Ha D’Or was impressive in winning a rated novice chase on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse just before Christmas. He made all that day under Paul Townend, his jumping was very good and he just idled on the run to the final fence, leaving the impression that he had even more in hand than the 11-length winning margin.

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Journey With Me was a high-class novice hurdler last season, he reached a rating of 145, 6lb higher than Ha D’Or’s rating over hurdles. A faller at the second last fence in Classic Getaway’s beginners’ chase at Gowran Park in November when he was probably booked for second or third place, he was good last time at Naas, staying on well up the hill to come clear of Brides Hill and Flame Bearer.

Minella Crooner, second in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle last season and just beaten by Darren’s Hope in the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Chase at Punchestown on his debut this season, stayed on well last time to just get home by a short head from I Am Maximus at Fairyhouse, and Glengouly made just about all the running to win his beginners’ chase at Thurles in early December, coming home almost four lengths clear of Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winner Telmesomethinggirl, who won her own beginners’ chase at Naas last Sunday.

Impervious wasn’t as good over hurdles as some of her rivals on Sunday, but early signs are that she could be a much better chaser than hurdler. Impressive in winning her beginners’ chase on her chasing bow at Wexford at the end of October, Colm Murphy’s mare stepped forward from that last time when she stayed on strongly to get the better of Dinoblue in a Grade 2 mares’ novices’ chase at Cork.

Now racing in the colours of Dinoblue’s owner JP McManus, it is significant that her connections are happy to allow her take on the geldings here.

She does have to carry a Grade 2 penalty, which more than negates her mares’ allowance, but she could be up to the task.

For more from Donn visit www.donnmcclean.com

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