DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
THURSDAY DECEMBER 11
1.20 PUNCHESTOWN
SWITCH FROM DIESEL (best price 9-4) may have disappointed some of the crowd on hurdling debut at Navan but considering the pace wouldn’t have been to her liking, Ross O’Sullivan’s mare is afforded another chance to show her true worth in today’s better race.
It was by no means a disaster the daughter of Yeats finished second at the Meath venue, she certainly jumped and travelled well enough, and it was a performance on which solid foundations can be built.
Arriving there 25 days ago following a massive effort to come from virtually last to first in a maiden on the Flat at the Curragh on two weeks earlier, maybe she was still feeling the effects of that run in her legs in the latter stages and that is another reason why it is probably best not to be too critical of her defeat at the hands of a horse who would have expected her to beat on the run down to the last.
Let’s not forget, the six-year-old was good enough to defeat the smart Carrigmorna Spruce in a bumper last season and finished a creditable runner-up to the high-class Bambino Fever twice and if she has any aspirations of working her way towards some of the big festivals in March in this division, she needs to be making a big impression in a race of today’s nature.
SWITCH FROM DIESEL – 1-point win@9-4
3.05 TAUNTON
CHIEF O’HARA (NAP) (best price 5-2) ran out a ready winner over today’s C&D last time out and with connections spotting the ideal space in the programme book to come back and attack the west county venue again, Matt Shepherd’s inmate rates a strong choice to repeat the dose.
A non-stayer over three miles on his first start over fences, that poor effort was followed up by a better run over a mile shorter next time, but it was the combination of 2m2f and quick ground that really seemed to play into his strengths 14 days ago.
Just off the decent pace set turning for home, the five-year-old picked up nicely to challenge two out and from that juncture, he drew steadily clear to score with a good deal in hand.
Clocking the best time figure on the card, his notable achievement could have been more severely punished and the leniency afforded to him will have to go down as an opportunity squandered if he fails to take advantage.
CHIEF O’HARA – 1-point win@5-2