DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
WEDNESDAY APRIL 30
2.30 PUNCHESTOWN
As ever for the finale of this series, as wide-open a handicap you could imagine but both CLOONAINRA (best price 18-1) and SMOOTH SCOTCH (best price 28-1) have compelling profiles to suggest they could be the answer to the puzzle.
Th former arrives here courtesy of a smooth victory at Kelso and that effort cemented several near misses at the hands of the likes of Tripoli Flyer and Decorated Hero.
Although she has enough speed for two miles, distances slightly beyond the minimum trip seem to suit this former point winner best and with conditions to suit, she is fancied to outstrip her morning odds.
The latter has had this race as his target ever since tipping up going well in this race last season and everything looks set fair for a positive show.
Runner-up to the useful Autoportrait at Navan two starts ago, he failed in his bid to uphold the form with the third home that day, Butcher Hollow, but as he was almost brough to a standstill after running into a path of an early casualty that day, his performance can be slightly forgiven.
Clearly well suited by galloping, right-handed tracks over 2m4f, the eight-year-old looks another to be firmly put into the ‘overpriced’ tray.
CLOONAINRA – ½ point each-way@18-1 (five places)
SMOOTH SCOTCH – ½ point each-way@28-1 (six places)
3.05 PUNCHESTOWN
Gavin Cromwell captured this race last season with the progression Backtonormal and the Meath handler looks to have a similar type for the job in the shape of CHAMPAGNE JURY (best price 7-2) this year’s renewal.
Lightly raced, the son of Jukebox Jury has just the two runs since leaving the point circuit, resulting with a victory in a bumper at Naas, followed up by a fair effort on hurdles debut at Leopardstown when last seen.
No match for Honesty Policy at the Dublin venue, the winner has gone on to advertise the form in no uncertain terms since and with today’s step up in trip a likely source of improvement, the six-year-old should give his supporters a decent spin.
ROCKYMOUNTAINBLEU (best price 11-1), although outpointed by Champagne Jury and Coral River at Leopardstown, he has better prospects of being more competitive than his odds suggest now heading back in the direction of his impressive C&D win earlier in the campaign and he is worth playing accordingly.
Lacking tactical speed for two miles that day, he also found the same trip no use on his latest outing at Naas, but he did catch the eye with some decent late work and that display is seen as a good platform from which to build.
No match for the smart Kitzbuhel here back in December, Philip Rothwell’s inmate, however, was seen to better advantage over the 2m4f trip the time before – lowering the colours of the useful Sounds Victorious – and a repeat of something similar makes him a dangerous floater.
CHAMPAGNE JURY – 1-point win@7-2
ROCKYMOUNTAINBLEU – ½ point each-way@11-1
6.05 PUNCHESTOWN
LETS GO CHAMP (best price 13-2) ran out an impressive winner of this race last season and with conditions falling right for him just in the nick of time, lightening could easily strike twice for Henry De Bromhead’s gelding.
Extremely well backed twelve months ago, the 10-year-old didn’t provide his supporters with too many issues, jumping and travelling well throughout and when asked to seal the deal in between the final two fences, he found the necessary change of gear to ease his way clear.
Lightly raced in the interim, his runs in the Galway Plate and Paddy Power Chase indicate a rise in handicap hasn’t prevented him from competing at a higher level and, safe in the knowledge he goes particularly well fresh, a gap of 109 days since disappointing on unsuitable soft ground should in no way hinder his obvious looking claims.
LETS GO CHAMP – 1-point each-way@13-2