16:25 Punchestown

Saturday 29 April 2023

All14:3515:1015:5016:2517:0017:3018:0518:40

Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase (0-150) (Grade B)

Off time: 16:27 | Winning time: 6m 31.0s

Sam Brown^b1,t¹⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: B W Harvey⁽⁵⁾| T: A J Honeyball| OR: 150| D

9/1

Fell heavily at the Chair in National at Aintree (34.3f, good) 14 days ago. Significantly back down in trip. Yard in good form. Blinkers on 1st time. Has good chance on pick of form.

Form: 1-35P5F

Diol Ker^b¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Kieren Buckley⁽³⁾| T: N Meade| OR: 148| D

28/1

Unseated rider 1st in National (100/1) at Aintree (34.3f, good) 14 days ago. Significantly back down in trip. Work to do.

Form: 0-9220U

Ramillies^t⁴⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 144| C| D

5/2

Would have bagged a second chasing win in 3m Grade 3 at Naas but demoted for causing interference. Pulled up in Brown Advisory at Cheltenham (24.4f, good to soft) 45 days ago but sort to bounce back now he makes handicap chase debut. Interesting.

Form: 166-1DP

Darver Star^p,t²⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-5| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 143| BF| C

17/2

3 wins from 6 runs this season. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, good second of 7 in handicap chase at Wexford (19.8f, heavy, 11/4) 29 days ago. Back up in trip. Ought to be in the shake-up.

Form: 211172

Fire Attack¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Shane Fitzgerald⁽³⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 143| C

18/1

Course winner. 50/1, unseated rider 20th (in second) in Irish National at Fairyhouse (29f, soft) 19 days ago. Considered.

Form: 2-1FF5U

Flegmatik^p,t⁶³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Sean Quinlan| T: D Skelton| OR: 137| D

11/2

Good second of 13 in handicap chase (10/1) at Kempton (24f, good to soft) 63 days ago. Can give another good account.

Form: 1P-3092

Champagne Gold^p,t⁴⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Mike O'Connor⁽⁵⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 135

16/1

33/1, pulled up in handicap chase at Cheltenham (20.6f, soft) 44 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 94-132P

Must Be Obeyed¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 133| C

8/1

Course winner. Latest win in chase at Fairyhouse in January. Pulled up in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (29f, soft, 16/1) 19 days ago. Can make presence felt if shrugging off latest effort.

Form: 41144P

Jerandme^p⁵⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-7| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 131

10/1

6/1, running well (still every chance) when fell 2 out in handicap chase at Leopardstown (21.4f, good) 55 days ago. In the mix.

Form: 94/272-F

Brideswell Lad¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: J J Slevin| T: S Neville| OR: 126

12/1

3 wins from 10 runs this season. 8/1, career best when winning 11-runner handicap chase at Tramore (21.6f, soft) 13 days ago, driven out. Needs considering.

Form: 1F5U41

Ballykeel⁴⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: C McGivern⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 124

8/1

Latest win in chase at Fairyhouse in February. Below form tenth of 23 in handicap chase (28/1) at Cheltenham (26f, soft) 44 days ago. Sort to bounce back.

Form: 332410

Snugsborough Benny^p¹⁶⁰

Age: 13| Weight: 10-0| J: Dillon Maxwell⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Broderick| OR: 116| D

50/1

28/1, brought down 3 out in handicap chase at this course (22.6f, good to soft) 160 days ago, making headway at the time. More is needed.

Form: 32276B

Non-Runners

Escaria Ten⁴⁴

Weight: 11-10| Age: 9

T: G Elliott J: Danny Gilligan

Percy Warner⁴⁰

Weight: 10-5| Age: 7

T: H De Bromhead J: D F O'Regan

Forecasts

Ramillies (5/2), Flegmatik (11/2), Ballykeel (8/1), Must Be Obeyed (8/1), Darver Star (17/2), Sam Brown (9/1), Percy Warner (10/1), Jerandme (10/1), Brideswell Lad (12/1), Escaria Ten (14/1), Champagne Gold (16/1), Fire Attack (18/1), Diol Ker (28/1), Snugsborough Benny (50/1)

Lots with chances but RAMILLIES is taken to bounce back from a poor showing in the Broadway at Cheltenham and resume winning ways on his first venture into handicap company for Willie Mullins. Darver Star is a consistent sort and feared most on the back of his good Wexford second, with Flegmatik and Must Be Obeyed completing the shortlist.