17:25 Punchestown

Saturday 4 May 2024

All14:3015:0515:4216:1516:5017:2518:0018:30

SBK Gold Trophy Handicap Hurdle (Listed)

Off time: 17:25 | Winning time: 5m 31.3s

Dee Capo³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Carl Millar⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 144| BF

33/1

Pulled up in Easter Festival Novices' Hurdle at Fairyhouse (20f, heavy, 3/1) 34 days ago won by Captain Cody, ridden entering straight. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Uphill task.

Form: 51121P

Beacon Edge²³

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Danny Gilligan⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 140| C| D

22/1

Course winner. Latest win in hurdle at Thurles in October. 13¼ lengths sixth of 8 to Impaire Et Passe in Aintree Hurdle (33/1) at Aintree (20f, soft) 23 days ago.

Form: 1P4296

Ambitious Fellow⁶¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 138| C| D

50/1

Course winner. Five wins from 17 NH runs. Fell in novice chase at Leopardstown (17f, heavy, 25/1) on debut over fences 61 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Back up in trip. Must improve.

Form: 0315PF

Jigoro⁵²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Jordan Gainford| T: G Elliott| OR: 137

40/1

Winner in hurdle at Navan in December. 11/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Cheltenham (21f, heavy) 52 days ago, well beaten before straight. Very hard to make a case for.

Form: 2123P

Olympic Man³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 137| BF

15/2

Winner in hurdle at Naas in March. 6/4, good second of 13 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (23.8f, heavy) 35 days ago. Yard in good form. Should improve.

Form: 62/3212

Monbeg Park¹¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: J J Slevin| T: S Doyle| OR: 135| CD

10/1

Course winner. 10/1, well-beaten fifth of 6 to Spillane's Tower in Killiney Novices' Chase at this course (19.7f, soft) 111 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Enters calculations.

Form: 2D1-445

Waterford Whispers⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Mark Walsh| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 135| BF

2/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Two wins from 4 runs last season. Good second of 21 in handicap hurdle (10/3) at Cheltenham (20.2f, heavy) 50 days ago, travelling strongly. Likely to improve.

Form: 7-1122

Risk Belle³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁵⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 134| BF

16/1

Latest win in hurdle at Fairyhouse in December. Respectable fifth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy, 3/1) 35 days ago. Up in trip. Stable in good form. Not taken lightly.

Form: 6-13585

The Very Man^p⁹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-2| J: N de Boinville| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 134| C

12/1

Seventeenth of 22 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24.3f, soft, 40/1) 91 days ago. Each-way chance.

Form: 39032-0

Chapeau De Soleil⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Brian Hayes| T: W P Mullins| OR: 132

16/1

Lightly-raced winner under Rules. Career best when winning 4-runner minor event hurdle at Navan (21.7f, heavy, 10/11) 42 days ago, readily. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should have more to offer.

Form: 1/20-161

Fascile Mode⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: J B Foley| T: T Mullins| OR: 132| C

20/1

200/1, 18¼ lengths sixth of 9 to Mystical Power in Champion Novices' Hurdle at this course (16.7f, good to soft) 4 days ago. Up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Plenty to find on form.

Form: 164856

Lucky Zebo³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 132

18/1

Four wins from 6 runs last season. Career best when winning 9-runner handicap hurdle (10/1) at Cork (19f, heavy) 34 days ago.

Form: 113181

The Wallpark¹⁹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| OR: 132

33/1

Three wins from 4 runs last season. 18 lengths third of 4 to High Class Hero in listed hurdle at Limerick (21f, heavy, 9/2). Off 6 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 53-1113

Western Walk³³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: Jonathan Sweeney| OR: 132

28/1

6/1, fifth of 8 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (22.2f, heavy) 33 days ago, not knocked about. Should progress.

Form: 3/2411-5

Comfort Zone³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Simon Torrens| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 131

25/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Tenth of 12 in handicap hurdle (9/2) at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 35 days ago. Up in trip. Can make presence felt.

Form: 1311-0

Pink In The Park¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: K Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 131| C

40/1

Creditable fifth of 11 in handicap hurdle (12/1) at Ayr (24.3f, good to soft) 14 days ago, left poorly placed. Yard having good spell. Difficult ask.

Form: 452485

Ocastle Des Mottes^h²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 130| BF

8/1

Eighth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Aintree (20f, soft, 5/1) 22 days ago. Trainer going well. Should go well on pick of form.

Form: 1-P1858

Stoke The Fire⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: M M McDonagh⁽³⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 130

18/1

Promising type. Didn't need to be at best when winning 8-runner novice hurdle (1/5) at Perth (16.2f, soft) 8 days ago, hard held. Back up in trip. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should go well again.

Form: 1341

Watch The Weather^t²⁰³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Donagh Meyler| T: R P Cody| OR: 130| D

80/1

One win from 3 runs last season. Latest win in hurdle at Tipperary in July. Bit below form sixth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Chepstow (19.4f, heavy, 33/1). Off 6 months.

Form: 090-146

One Last Tango³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Peter Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: E Griffin| OR: 129| C

66/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, below form seventh of 12 in handicap hurdle (14/1) at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 35 days ago. Up in trip. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 0-54107

Moonovercloon¹⁶⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: J Smith⁽⁷⁾| T: M J Smith| OR: 126| D

50/1

Latest win in hurdle at Sligo in August. 31 lengths fifth of 8 to Minella Missile in Hyde Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham (21f, soft, 22/1) 169 days ago. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 41F455

Canal End⁹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: J S McGarvey| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 125| BF

10/1

11/2, bit below form seventh of 22 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24.3f, soft) 91 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 631-537

Cato's Revenge^p1,t³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 120

66/1

Winner in hurdle at Limerick in December. 33/1, ninth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (23.8f, heavy) 35 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time. RESERVE.

Form: 7513U9

Non-Runners

Encanto Bruno¹²⁹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 6

T: G P Cromwell J: Sean Flanagan

Visionarian¹⁷⁵

Weight: 11-2| Age: 9

T: G P Cromwell J: Conor Stone-Walsh

Gold Dancer³⁴

Weight: 10-12| Age: 5

T: W P Mullins J: Sean O'Keeffe

Garrybello²

Weight: 10-3| Age: 6

T: T Cooper J: Reserve 1

Ardera Ru¹

Weight: 10-0| Age: 9

T: E Doyle J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Waterford Whispers (2/1), Olympic Man (15/2), Ocastle Des Mottes (8/1), Canal End (10/1), Monbeg Park (10/1), The Very Man (12/1), Ardera Ru (14/1), Chapeau De Soleil (16/1), Risk Belle (16/1), Encanto Bruno (16/1), Gold Dancer (16/1), Stoke The Fire (18/1), Lucky Zebo (18/1), Fascile Mode (20/1), Visionarian (20/1), Beacon Edge (22/1), Comfort Zone (25/1), Western Walk (28/1), Dee Capo (33/1), The Wallpark (33/1), Jigoro (40/1), Pink In The Park (40/1), Moonovercloon (50/1), Ambitious Fellow (50/1), Garrybello (50/1), One Last Tango (66/1), Cato's Revenge (66/1), Watch The Weather (80/1)

The suspicion remains that OCASTLE DES MOTTES is capable of better than he has shown since joining Willie Mullins. He was too free when fifth in the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival and is taken to reverse the placings with Waterford Whispers, who was second in the same race. That said, the latter is not passed over lightly as she remains open to improvement with just five runs under her belt. Visionarian and Olympic Man, Townend's pick of the seven Mullins runners, are also considered.