12:20 Punchestown

Thursday 16 November 2023

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:45

Ladbrokes 'We Play Together' Handicap Chase (0-102)

Off time: 12:21 | Winning time: 6m 44.40s

An Fraoch Mor¹⁸⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Keith Donoghue| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 102

12/1

Tenth of 15 in handicap chase (22/1) at Killarney (20f, good). Off 6 months. Up in trip. Easily opposed on return.

Form: 8PP/65-0

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Baldur's Gate²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr J W Hannon⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss D O'Shea| OR: 98

11/1

11/2, ran no sort of race after 7 months off when pulled up in handicap chase at Thurles (20.5f, soft) 4 weeks ago, reportedly returning with a wound on his left-hind pastern. Back up in trip.

Form: 53523-P

Black Samurai^p1,t⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: S Aherne| OR: 98

18/1

11/1, sixth of 10 in handicap chase at Clonmel (20.4f, heavy) 7 days ago. Back up in trip. Cheekpieces on for 1st time. Best watched.

Form: 38/8076

Faith Loving⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Dillon Maxwell⁽⁷⁾| T: Caroline Mccaldin| OR: 98

6/1

9/2 and fit from points, won 8-runner handicap chase at Fairyhouse (24.5f, heavy) 9 days ago by nose from Greenway Machine, looking more straightforward than has sometimes been the case and rallying to lead on line. 6 lb higher here and could kick on now up and running.

Form: 645-F41

He Fitz In^v²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: D E Fitzgerald| OR: 94

9/2

Latest win in hurdle at Navan in September. Creditable second of 14 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (21f, heavy, 4/1) 26 days ago, every chance early in straight. Switches from hurdles to chase.

Form: P41F22

William of Wykeham^p,t⁴⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Phillip Enright| T: M M McNiff| OR: 93

14/1

Wasn't seen to best effect when sixth of 9 in handicap chase (11/1) at Killarney (23f, good to soft) 46 days ago, not knocked about. Isn't one to write off just yet over fences and continues to tumble in the weights.

Form: 7/07-966

Fox Le Bel^p⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁵⁾| T: Liz Doyle| OR: 88| BF

4/1

Unseated early in point latest but proved admirably consistent in handicap chases last term. Ran creditably to place once more under Rules when 5½ lengths third of 8 to Faith Loving at Fairyhouse (24.5f, heavy, 7/4) 9 days ago and should be bang there once again.

Form: 4323-U3

Da Big Fella^p,t¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: Eamon Courtney| OR: 85

9/2

One win from 22 NH runs. 7/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, made more impact again than previously over fences when second of 9 in handicap at Galway (22.5f, heavy) 18 days ago. Every chance if building on that here.

Form: 65304-2

Highstreetfashion^p,t⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Patrick M O'Brien⁽⁷⁾| T: P Rooney| OR: 77| CD

10/1

Course winner. 8/1, offered little after 5 months off when well-beaten fourth of 8 to Faith Loving in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (24.5f, heavy) 9 days ago. Will need to leave that effort well behind.

Form: 43P-564

Greenway Machine⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 10-1| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁷⁾| T: Ms H P Markham| OR: 75

8/1

Winner in chase at Downpatrick in October. Ran well when nose second of 8 to Faith Loving in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (24.5f, heavy, 13/2) 9 days ago, collared post. Could feature again in his current mood.

Form: U63512

Four Country Roads⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: D Moloney⁽⁷⁾| T: B McMahon| OR: 72

33/1

Unreliable individual. Two wins from 44 NH runs. 10/1, did no better dropped in grade when tailed-off sixth of 8 to Faith Loving in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (24.5f, heavy) 9 days ago.

Form: P6P-976

Forecasts

Fox Le Bel (4/1), He Fitz In (9/2), Da Big Fella (9/2), Faith Loving (6/1), Greenway Machine (8/1), Highstreetfashion (10/1), Baldur's Gate (11/1), An Fraoch Mor (12/1), William of Wykeham (14/1), Black Samurai (18/1), Four Country Roads (33/1)

It's tough to put much confidence in a 27-race maiden, but FOX LE BEL ran creditably to place once more in the handicap Faith Loving won at Fairyhouse recently and with that outing sure to have blown away any cobwebs, he gets the tentative nod. The aforementioned Faith Loving showed a good attitude on his handicap bow so he heads up the dangers, with Greenway Machine and Da Big Fella taken to do battle for third.