13:55 Punchestown

Friday 31 December 2021

All11:4512:1512:4513:2013:5514:3015:00

Tote Supporting Punchestown Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:56 | Winning time: 5m 11.00s

Aarons Day^t²⁷⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: B Browne| T: O McKiernan| OR: 127

13/2

Quirky sort. Tongue strap on for 1st time, below form seventh of 12 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (22f, good to soft, 15/2). Off 9 months with work to do.

Form: 11/2867-

Festival D'ex^t²¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 127| C

13/2

Lightly-raced winner back in 2019. Off 15 months before only sixth of seven in C&D novice hurdle. Back from another absence now but he's no forlorn hope for top yard.

Form: 1148/6

An Epic Song²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: M Brassil| OR: 124

2/1

Eighth of 16 in handicap hurdle (12/1) at Cork (16f, soft) 26 days ago. Stable having good spell, so he could bounce back here.

Form: 71-48

Le Correzien^t1³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 123

22/1

Debut winner in France but he came in last of 7 in 2m novice here last month. Tongue strap on for handicap debut and no surprise to see him take a step forward.

Form: 1-7

Blast Of Koeman^p,t²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: J J Slevin| T: P Maher| OR: 121

40/1

Temperamental sort. Unseated rider 7th in handicap chase (40/1) at Cheltenham (30.2f, good) 21 days ago. Switches to hurdles with cheekpieces back on and not ruled out.

Form: 226P-5U

Bread And Butter¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: Ms H P Markham| OR: 121

9/2

Twelve runs since last win in 2020, but he posted good third of 21 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, good to soft, 25/1) 13 days ago. Not taken lightly.

Form: 5P0723

Instant Return¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 121| C

25/1

Course winner. Only eleventh of 13 in handicap hurdle (16/1) at Thurles (16f, good to soft) 12 days ago. Needs to get back on track.

Form: 32112/0

Cafe Con Leche³⁰⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Flanagan| T: M J Smith| OR: 120

25/1

125/1, tailed off when refused last over fences at Naas when last seen out 10 months ago. First run for yard after leaving Denis Hogan with lots more required.

Form: 11/50FR-

Prospectus^p,t1²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: C J Orr| T: Thomas Coyle| OR: 120

80/1

Thirteenth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Cork (16f, soft, 66/1) 26 days ago. Tongue strap on for 1st time with lots to find.

Form: P8P5-P0

Robbin'hannon¹⁰¹⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: R P Treacy| T: M A Gunn| OR: 120

80/1

Fair fifth of 8 in minor event hurdle at Thurles (23.3f, good, 7/1). Off over 2 years with his fitness to prove.

Form: 204205/

Bigz Belief^b,t¹⁵⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Sam Ewing⁽³⁾| T: M J Smith| OR: 119

40/1

Winner in hurdle at Navan in March. Tongue strap on for 1st time, seventeenth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Galway (21f, 40/1) 156 days ago, so needs to bounce back.

Form: 61P0-P0

The Big Galloper⁸⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: J S McGarvey| T: C Byrnes| OR: 118

33/1

Off 10 months before modest seventh of 8 in handicap chase (14/1) at Galway (18.5f, heavy) 87 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles with plenty to find.

Form: 12/995-7

Captain Conby⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-8| J: Kevin Sexton| T: E Sheehy| OR: 114| C

9/1

Promising individual. 66/1, won 21-runner novice hurdle at this course (19.6f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 48 days ago. Makes handicap debut and must enter calculations with more to offer.

Form: 28-1

Hurricane Darwin^t²⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: L P Dempsey| T: P Maher| OR: 106

22/1

Nineteen runs since last win in 2017. Respectable eighth of 16 in handicap hurdle (33/1) at this course (19.4f, good to soft) 26 days ago, so veteran is no forlorn hope.

Form: 24-8038

She's Commanche²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: J M Moore| T: A Murray| OR: 103

13/2

Not seen to best effect when running-on third of 16 in handicap hurdle (10/1) at this course (19.4f, good to soft) 26 days ago. Expected to be bang there off the same mark.

Form: 1P-0353

Non-Runners

Mitchouka¹⁵⁴

Weight: 11-10| Age: 7

T: J T R Dreaper J: Keith Donoghue

Forecasts

An Epic Song (2/1), Bread And Butter (9/2), Aarons Day (13/2), She's Commanche (13/2), Festival D'ex (13/2), Captain Conby (9/1), Mitchouka (14/1), Hurricane Darwin (22/1), Le Correzien (22/1), Cafe Con Leche (25/1), Instant Return (25/1), The Big Galloper (33/1), Bigz Belief (40/1), Blast Of Koeman (40/1), Robbin'hannon (80/1), Prospectus (80/1)

Plenty are in with a shout here. SHE'S COMMANCHE didn't enjoy the rub of the green when third in a big field here earlier in the month and figures on an attractive mark so she gets the vote. Captain Conby goes into handicaps with more to offer and is next on the list, with Bread And Butter appealing as the pick of the remainder for place purposes.