Day Four Punchestown Festival 2023

The first selections on the fourth day of the 2023 Punchestown festival come in the second race of the day which is the Grade A Novice Handicap Chase and with a big field going to post we have dutched the race.

The first runner is the Emmet Mullins trained So Scottish who on a reduced Irish mark in this event could potentially be well handicapped.

A horse that struggled over hurdles and has really turned a corner since going over fences, making his chase debut in October at Tipperary when getting off the mark of 2m3 1/2f.

He saw off the talented Railway Hurricane by seven lengths who has since franked the form for Gavin Crowell when a 3/4 length second to the well backed Unanswered Prayers at Cheltenham last weekend giving weight away.

So Scottish was next seen also giving the form a boost at Carlisle at the end of October when taking a Novices' Chase under a penalty and making his handicap debut over fences off 135 he could be incredibly well in.

Sent to Ascot for his next start in November, he stayed on well to chase home Grade Two winner Boothill and having been crying out for a step up in trip he got that at the Cheltenham festival and off 8lb higher in the Plate Handicap Chase he ran a decent race to finish seventh of 23.

He now races off 5lb lower in this event and off a mark of 138 could see him well in.

Another in the race who is very interesting is the Eddie & Patrick Harty trained Grandero Bello who has been in some very good form this season.

Grandero Bello since the turn of the year has really turned his form around, in January finishing a neck second to the Grade One placed Bronn.

Sent to Gowran Park next time out he improved in to land a Beginners Chase over 2m4f at Gowran Park, beating Mac's Charm.

Stepped up to Grade Three company last time out he finished a close second behind the Irish Grand National favourite Thedevilscoachman.

Some of those runs represent strong form and now sent handicapping off a mark of 139, he looks interesting at an each way price.

One of the first big races of the afternoon is the Grade Two Mares Chase and there should be no stopping Impervious in this one.

Sent chasing this season this animal has turned into a bit of a superstar, winning at Wexford on heavy ground on chase debut over two miles and then in December made it 2/2 for the season at Cork, when seeing off Dinoblue by three lengths to land the Grade Two Mares' Chase.

Upped in trip over 2m 3 1/2f at Punchestown, she gave weight away taking on the boys having got a penalty for her latest success, she revelled in to the heavy ground again and went on to see off Journey With Me late on.

She was determined and gritty like she has been all season and that set her perfectly for the Grade Two Mares Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Playing second fiddle in the betting behind Allegorie De Vassy, she looked beat jumping the last but showed a serious engine to pass the Rich Ricci owned mare to land the contest.

She is 4/4 this season and we can't see Allegorie De Vassy or any of the other horses from that race reversing the form.

The feature event of the afternoon on Friday is the Grade One Punchestown Champion Hurdle over two miles and State Man is the stand out selection.

State Man was a smart Novice hurdler being a plot job in the 2022 County Hurdle when winning well off a mark of 141 and then at last years Punchestown festival went on to show he was a Grade One horse in a handicap when landing Alana Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.

This season stepping into open company he has been superb, landing back to back Grade Ones in the Morgiana Hurdle, Matheson Hurdle and then he was last seen chasing home the unbeaten superstar Constitution Hill in the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle.

He has already beat all of these horses throughout his career and there is no reason why any of them will reverse the form.

Another Grade One follows and it should see another short priced favourite go in for the Closutton maestro Willie Mullins with Impaire Et Passe.

He is a horse we are a huge fan of, having been bought by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede after winning a bumper in France over 1m4 1/2f, he was given to Willie Mullins and made his debut on the 20th December at Naas.

He looks a serious talent being an 18 lengths winner of a 24 runner Maiden Hurdle over 2m3f and although he would be dropping in trip for this race he has bundles of class.

Impaire Et Passe extended his credentials At Punchestown in January when bolting up by close to seven lengths in the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle, tracking the leader Shecouldbeanything the whole way round, jumping like a stag and then quickening away after the last in very deep ground.

Sent into the Grade One Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival, he was the talking horse of the preview night circle and he proved many right when bolting up by 6 1/2 lengths.

He is a horse with a massive future and having already seen off Champ Kiely convincingly and holes in the other runners, this should be straight forward.

Next up is the Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Chase and we are taking a chance on Chris's Dream who has some nice back class throughout his career and showed last time out the fire still burns in his belly.

A Grade Two chase winner and placed in the Grade One Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal during his career he has had some breaks in his career that have slowed him down.

Now 11 years of age he has been sent down the Hunter Chase route and having landed back to back PTPs this season in Ireland it set him up perfectly for a crack at the Hunters Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

He ran a cracker to finish a good fifth of the 23 runners, with the form of the race working out well with Shantou Flyer in third and Famous Clermont in sixth since winning nice events.

The final race of the afternoon is the 2m2f bumper and with a big field going to post we have picked out two runners that could go close.

The first is the Gordon Elliott trained Quantum Storm who holds some nice form in the book without winning yet but if improving again should run another big race.

A head second on his sole PTP run at Dromhane over three miles, he was then bought for £165,000 by Bective Stud and given to Gordon Elliott.

Seen just once under rules to date he finished a very good second behind the highly talented Ballyburn and think that form line is as good as any in the field.

Another runner that could go well off the back of his rules debut is He's My Hero for Paul Nolan with this gelding having a similar career to date as our other selection in the race.

Second on PTP debut at Dromahane over three miles, only going down by a lake to the very expensive purchase of Croke Park.

Costing £120,000 himself, he was given to Paul Nolan and was given his rules debut at Naas at the end of March and finished a good second behind the well bred brother of Ferny Hollow, with Mirazur West for JP McManus and Willie Mullins looking like a horse who could have a huge future.

Back in third that day was the £360,000 purchase Mahon's Way who is another that will go on to be a smart horse, so the form of that bumper could be very smart.