DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
TUESDAY APRIL 29
3.05 PUNCHESTOWN
BRIGHT LEGEND (best price 12-1) is awaiting his first win over hurdles, but he has been knocking at the door of late against some useful opposition and it would come as no surprise if he made a bold bid to shed his maiden tag on the biggest stage of all.
Runner-up on his latest outing at Cork, the third horse home that day, St Cuthbert’s Cave, has already gone on to boost the form at Kilbeggan the other night and the winner, Saint Le Fort, is entered to run at listed level later in the week.
Prior to that excellent effort, Denis Hogan’s inmate found the combination of three miles and Grade 2 company a bridge too far at Haydock and he is better judged of his run to get qualified for today’s final when finishing a close-up third behind Londonofficecalling at the Kildare venue back in January.
A creditable third in the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel last season, he clearly goes well in big fields, and with today’s trip and ground ideal, the five-year-old will hopefully reward the place side of the investment at the very least.
BRIGHT LEGEND – ½ point each-way@12-1
3.40 PUNCHESTOWN
Lark In The Morning hasn’t set the world alight on both his two starts so far this season and at the prices he is readily passed over in favour of BRENTFORD HOPE (best price 9-1) and HELVIC DREAM (best price 12-1).
The former is one of two entries with sound credentials for Harry Derham and even though stable jockey Paul O’Brien has chosen to ride Ascending Lark, the eight-year-old shouldn’t dismissed totally out of hand.
Runner-up to the very well-treated Daddy Long Legs in this race last season, he has plied his trade at a decent level since and having taken on Grade 1 performers, Constitution Hill and Golden Ace on his last two starts, he should find today’s environment much more to his liking.
The latter is a former Group 1 winner on the Flat and even though he is nowhere near that level nowadays, he has shown on quite a few occasions of late he is by means a busted flush just yet.
A Fairyhouse last time out for instance, he would have surely prevailed had he not walked through the third last and the fact he has been chalked up twice the price of Serienmond, who finished one place behind him at the Meath venue, makes little sense.
BRENTFORD HOPE – ½ point each-way@9-1
HELVIC DREAM – ½ point each-way@12-1
3.53 NOTTINGHAM
BINT AL DAAR (NAP) (best price 7-2) shaped nicely on her seasonal bow at Southwell last time out and with expected improvement to come, the daughter of Muhaarar has fair prospects of adding to her two victories last term.
Held up towards the rear after a sluggish beginning at the Midland venue, the five-year-old mare was languishing in last as the field turned for home, but she was noted doing some sterling late work in the final three furlongs and by the time she’d hit the line, she was right on the coat tails of the main players.
Although most of her best form is further than the mile trip she faced that day, she has run well over today’s C&D in the past and she looks to have been found a decent opportunity to get back to winning ways along with the possibility of her inexperienced pilot’s first success.
BINT AL DAAR – 1-point win@7-2