PJ’s got three picks from what’ll be an exciting day of racing at Punchestown and one from Exeter, too.
Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing tips
11:43 Punchestown – Desertmore House
13:52 Punchestow – Intent Approach
14:36 Exeter – Dartmoor Pirate
15:00 Punchestown – Lecky Watson (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
The Cross Country/Banks races are not everyone’s cup of tea, but these events serve a purpose, and to my eyes, I think they are a great spectacle. There are some real specialists in this arena set to line up here with previous winners and course and distance victors in the field in the form of Busselton, Vanillier, and Vital Island, the latter has the cheek pieces on for the first time.
Of that trio, I much prefer the first-named, who comes here with two runs under his belt over hurdles, both of which would have been over too sharp a trip for him, and those outings should have teed him up very nicely for this outing, and a mark of 135 looks very playable today.
However, I prefer DESERTMORE HOUSE on account of his having been in much calmer waters after promising so much in his formative years. Indeed, I remember backing him for the Grand National of 2024 after his hugely eye-catching eighth of 27 in the Paddy Power Chase at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting when he was given a rather sympathetic ride by Ricky Doyle coming from a fair way out the back without really being put into the race.
In the end, he never lined up at Liverpool, and his form since in 10 races has left plenty to be desired, with his best run being his second to the aforementioned Busselton over these banks in May. He is now some 5lbs better off for that three-quarters of a length beating and having won his point-to-point last time out at Damma House, which should set him up nicely for this challenge.
The trouble with having a wager in these Pertemps Qualifiers is that you don’t know which horses are playing the tactical game to reach the final at Cheltenham in March. But the key to that answer is that a mark of 130 will give you a good chance of running in that race in just over four months’ time, which means that the majority of this field are nearly there in ratings terms and just need to reach the first four to get in, but this does not ring true for the selection.
The obvious selection for this race has to be the top weight Staffordshire Knot, our each-way selection when he ran a cracker when staying on third behind Latos at 22/1 a fortnight ago. Just 3lbs higher here, the top weight again here has an outstanding chance of defying his mark, and I think it is well worth having a saver on and possibly a forecast mixer with the selection.
Aidan Kelly has not had a winning ride in the last 46 days (24 rides), but he has been placed on a number of occasions, and there can be no doubting that he is a young jockey to follow in the coming months and indeed years.
His mount had a lovely pipe-opener at Clonmel when looking as though he just needed it when bowing out between the final two flights, beaten some 13 lengths by the smart Jeriko De Baune. That run should have put him straight, and this looks like an outstanding chance for INTENT APPROACH to land just a second run of his career.
The big make-up for this field is that there is plenty of pace up top, with two who have run from the front in the past and six who like to race as pressers. My first port of call was to look at the unexposed King Califet from the in-form Emma Lavelle yard.
This six-year-old has his attention turned to fences on only his fourth start under rules, following one point to point (second) and one win from three starts over hurdles, when on two occasions his jumping of timber looked slow and inefficient, and the calling of fences was inevitable. If he has schooled well, then his chance of a rating of just 113 looks very fair with Ben Jones in the saddle.
He could be worth a saver if positive in the market, but I am going to go well left of centre here with the Anthony Honeyball charge, DARTMOOR PIRATE. You may well look at my tip with total disdain and bewilderment, having been beaten 56 and 35 lengths on his last two starts over hurdles, although one of those was in a very hot race.
His one run over fences here saw him lose confidence straight away when he belted the second and made niggly mistakes at the next two, and from halfway, Sam Twiston-Davies was very kind to him. However, he is built to make a chaser, and a mark of 121 looks to be too good to pass up. He ran a fine race off that rating over hurdles when fourth of 17 to Champagne Twist in the big EBF Final at Sandown Park, and a clear round could and should see him outrun his price by some way.
This Grade One event is always one to savour and has become a real treat for racing fans over the years since its inception in 1968. Indeed, the roll call of honour is a who’s who of racing with the likes of the great Dawn Run (’85), Bobsline (’86), Imperial Call (’98), Kicking King (’04), and Galopin Des Champs (’22) just a small sample of top-class winners.
Last year’s winner, Fact To File, is back again as the lead horse of a team of seven from the mighty Willie Mullins yard, which includes a Gold Cup winner and the first four home in this year’s Aintree Grand National. It would oversimplify things to suggest that this is merely a starting point for those ‘stayers’, and naturally, some will be sharper than others. In contrast, I would confidently suggest that this is merely a King George warm-up for course and distance winner Gaelic Warrior.
So with last year’s winner set to be plenty tight enough in the market, I think the each-way value surely has to be one of the seven from Closutton in the form of the Brown Advisory Chase winner, LECKY WATSON. Indeed, had he followed that up with victory here at the Champion Novice Chase instead of falling at the fifth fence, then he would be four from four over fences and surely shorter in the betting here.
Paul jacobs’ Sunday Racing tips
11:43 Punchestown – Desertmore House
13:52 Punchestow – Intent Approach
14:36 Exeter – Dartmoor Pirate
15:00 Punchestown – Lecky Watson (each-way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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