15:40 Punchestown

Sunday 9 December 2018

All12:2012:5513:2514:0014:3015:0515:40

Old House, Kill (Pro/Am) Flat Race

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 4m 0.1s

Baily Thunder¹⁹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽⁷⁾| T: M F Morris

33/1

Finished seventh in a pair of May bumpers at Down Royal and Ballinrobe. Likely this a pipe-opener before going hurdling and surprising if he makes the frame on evidence so far.

Form: 77

Cenotice²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr M J O'Hare⁽³⁾| T: N Meade

5/1

Oldcastle point-to-point winner made an encouraging start when third of nine at Navan last month. In good hands for bumpers and certainly has each-way potential again with fitness now likely boosted.

Form: 43-13

Eclair De Rock²⁵²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: S J Treacy

14/1

Paid the price for being too keen when beaten 26L into 11th on debut at Fairyhouse last month. More to come if he settles but still less than likely to make the frame.

Form: 0-

Embittered^h1,t1¹⁹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr T Hamilton⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien

9/2

Joined these connections after €46,000 after finishing third in his second point-to-point. Very keen that day so hood and tongue-tie added for rules debut and their impact will probably determine how well he fares.

Form: U3

Four Country Roads²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Miss L A Hourigan⁽⁵⁾| T: M Hourigan

33/1

Arcadio gelding kept on for fifth in a Thurles novice hurdle last month. Bred with stamina in mind so somewhat surprising he reverts to hurdles and is less appealing as a result.

Form: 5

I Got This

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: C P McNamara⁽⁷⁾| T: E McNamara

50/1

Newcomer by Le Fou is a half-brother to a 3m4f winner over fences so unlikely to have the requisite speed for a test such as this and is best watched.

Form:

Mason Jar³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss H McLoughlin

33/1

Fair efforts in three bumper but no obvious signs of progress in latest fourth of five at Thurles and likely struggle to enhance that finishing position in this tougher looking contest.

Form: 304

Santana Plessis²²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott

4/6

Excellent start to his career when third in the valuable Goffs Land Rover Bumper here at the festival back in April. Both stablemates who finished ahead of him won since and would be surprising if he is beaten here.

Form: 3-

Storm Flight²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: C O'Dwyer

66/1

Finished seventh in a bumper before pulling up over hurdles more recently at Cork. Big step up on both of those required to finish better than midfield.

Form: 7P

Touch Of Oscar¹⁹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: J P O'Brien

10/1

Promising sixth in a 3m point-to-point at Tralee (good) when making his debut at the end of May. Represents a top yard in terrific form and is worth a check in the market on debut.

Form: 6

Young Dev²⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: P J Cawley⁽⁷⁾| T: D Hogan

50/1

Failed to complete twice in three starts over obstacles so perhaps unsurprising he fared better in a bumper last time when third of nine at Ballinrobe back in April. This looks a deeper race so anything better than that would be surprising.

Form: F0U3-

Forecasts

Santana Plessis (4/6), Embittered (9/2), Cenotice (5/1), Touch Of Oscar (10/1), Eclair De Rock (14/1), Mason Jar (33/1), Four Country Roads (33/1), Baily Thunder (33/1), Young Dev (50/1), I Got This (50/1), Storm Flight (66/1)

SANTANA PLESSIS ran really well in the Land Rover Bumper here in April, a race that always throws up smart winners when finishing third which was all the more impressive given it was his debut and on that effort Gordon Elliott's charge looks some way clear of these rivals. Navan third Cenotice is taken to follow him home for Noel Meade with the Joseph O'Brien duo Touch Of Oscar and Embittered set to also battle it out for minor honours.