18:30 Punchestown

Wednesday 27 April 2022

All15:4016:1516:4517:2017:5518:3019:0519:45

Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 1)

Off time: 18:30 | Winning time: 3m 57.3s

American Mike⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott| OR: 138| D

9/4

Thrice-raced winner in bumpers. 5/2, 3¾ lengths second of 20 to Facile Vega in Champion Bumper at Cheltenham (16.4f, heavy) 42 days ago, no match for winner. Should go well again.

Form: 1-112

Carnfunnock⁸¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr B G Crawford| T: S R B Crawford| D

100/1

Thrice-raced winner in bumpers. 20 lengths third of 7 to Facile Vega in Gr 2 bumper at Leopardstown (16f, good to soft, 28/1) 81 days ago. Up against it.

Form: 3-13

Facile Vega⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 138| D

8/15

Unbeaten to date landing the 20-runner Champion Bumper at Cheltenham (16.4f, heavy, 15/8) 42 days ago by 3¾ lengths from American Mike on his latest outing. Firmly expected to make it 4 from 4.

Form: 111

Madmansgame⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D G Lavery| T: W P Mullins| OR: 115| D

40/1

Twice-raced winner in bumpers. 36¾ lengths eleventh of 20 to Facile Vega in Champion Bumper at Cheltenham (16.4f, heavy, 10/1) 42 days ago, doing too much too soon. Not completely discounted.

Form: 110

Ocean Of Mercy⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: P Hennessy| OR: 119

150/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Tailed-off fourteenth of 20 to Facile Vega in Champion Bumper (125/1) at Cheltenham (16.4f, heavy) 42 days ago. Hard to fancy.

Form: 230

Redemption Day⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Miss J Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 126| D

10/1

Twice-raced winner in bumpers. Tailed-off thirteenth of 20 to Facile Vega in Champion Bumper at Cheltenham (16.4f, heavy, 7/1) 42 days ago. Remains with potential.

Form: 10

Sandor Clegane⁵⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: P Nolan| BF| CD

33/1

Winner in bumper here in December. 4/9, second of 6 in bumper at Naas (15.5f, soft) 59 days ago. Will probably come up short at this level.

Form: 122

Seabank Bistro⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr C Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 122

20/1

One win from 2 runs last season. 9 lengths fourth of 20 to Facile Vega in Champion Bumper (18/1) at Cheltenham (16.4f, heavy) 42 days ago. Likely to struggle.

Form: 14

Viva Devito^h⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: W P Mullins| OR: 128| D

50/1

Thrice-raced winner in bumpers. 25/1, 26¾ lengths tenth of 20 to Facile Vega in Champion Bumper at Cheltenham (16.4f, heavy) 42 days ago. Uphill task.

Form: 4-10

Forecasts

Facile Vega (8/15), American Mike (9/4), Redemption Day (10/1), Seabank Bistro (20/1), Sandor Clegane (33/1), Madmansgame (40/1), Viva Devito (50/1), Carnfunnock (100/1), Ocean Of Mercy (150/1)

FACILE VEGA comfortably saw off American Mike at Cheltenham and there's no obvious reason to think that those placings will be reversed, while it would take a much-improved performance from one of the remainder to even remotely threaten that pair.