Paul Ferguson has one selection for us on Tuesday; Mossey Joe in the 18.40 at PUnchestown. Compare odds and bet
The opening day of the Punchestown Festival looks a cracker, with several short priced favourites trying to prove that Cheltenham hasn’t left it’s mark.
First up Supreme Novices’ third Trifolium tries to get the better of the improving County Hurdle winner Alderwood, who has won again since, in the Grade 1 Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.
Sizing Europe lost his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at Cheltenham last month, but bids to get back to winning ways in the Grade 1 Boylesports.com Champion Chase. He has, however, been beaten in this race for the past two years so both look like watching briefs, especially as we don’t know quite how bad the ground will be.
The third Grade 1 on the card, the Growise Champion Novice Chase, sees next season’s Gold Cup favourite Sir Des Champs bid to maintain his 100% over jumps. Willie Mullins’s six-year-old was one of the most impressive winners at this year’s Festival and it will be a huge shock to many if he is beaten.
But, at 1/4 he can’t be backed here and is instead taken on with an each-way selection in the shape of Mossey Joe (6:40) a horse who did well for us when winning his first two over fences last May.
The former winning pointer was a useful hurdler before he went chasing and finished runner-up at this meeting last year, when returning from a lay-off like he does today.
The chestnut has been off for much longer this time, having suffered an injury when making a bad blunder that cost him any chance of making it three from three over fences at Down Royal last June.
The nine-year-old doesn’t like winter ground so would have been in for a break in any case and could be a forgotten horse here. As long as he’s not too keen (has been in the past) and the ground hasn’t deteriorated too much, Barry Geraghty’s mount looks capable of running a big race and giving Sir Des Champs something to think about.
Sadly there are only five runners, so we could be playing for just one place if Sir Des Champs delivers the goods once again, and I regret not putting up Mossey Joe over the weekend, when he was available at 14/1 to three places in the ante-post market.
He’s now trading at 10/1, with Frisco Depot splitting him and the market leader; that rival is improving all the time and arrives here at the top of his game. Runner-up to the high-class Flemenstar on his penultimate start, Dessie Hughes’s eight-year-old had Ordinary Man (won since and re-opposes today) back in third when winning over 3m at Limerick earlier in the month.
Rated 13lbs inferior to Mossey Joe, he looks sure to run his race and is probably the marker horse to rate the race through, but it is hoped that should Declan McNamara’s runner return in the same form as last spring, he can at worst take second spot and even be ready to pick up the pieces should Sir Des Champs be feeling the effects of his Cheltenham success.
Boylesports offer the option of backing Mossey Joe each-way at 10/1 (¼ odds to 2 places) or at 5/2 without the market leader and that seems more than fair.
Tuesday’s selection:
6:40 Punchestown
Mossey Joe (each-way 10/1 Boylesports or 5/2 without Sir Des Champs)
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Last Year’s Tips Included 40 Leading Prospects: £499.80 profit to a level £10!
- AL FEROF won Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 10-1
- BENSALEM won Stewart Family Handicap 5-1
- BOBS WORTH won A Bartlett 15-8, 4/4 for year
- CAPTAIN CHRIS won Arkle Trophy 6-1
- FIRST LIEUTENANT won Neptune Investment 7-1
- (plus Grade 1 in Ireland 16-1)
- JAMES DE VASSY won Lanzarote Hurdle 8-1
- LONG RUN won King George 9-2, Gold Cup 7-2
- OSCAR WHISKY won Aintree Hurdle 6-1
- Peddlers Cross (Fighting Fifth Hurdle)
- Medermit (Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase)
- FINIAN’S RAINBOW (Maghull Novices’ Chase)
- WISHFULL THINKING (Manifesto Novices’ Chase)
