Punchestown Tuesday Preview - 11/02/20

Punchestown host a decent card of racing on Tuesday with the rearranged meeting and we start with a three mile one furlong Cross Country Chase and Enda Bolger's newly reformed Yanworth is our selection.

The 10 year old was a Grade One hurdle winner with Alan King and has been moved over to Ireland and Given to Cross Country specialist Enda Bolger to get his career back on track.

He ran at Listowel on his first run in September in a two mile hurdle contest and was pulled up since then he has been moved over three miles and in Cross Country events and on his debut at Punchestown in these races he won nicely.

He went to Cheltenham for the Cross Country Trial and after being backed in the market fell but never looked right all the ay round and back at the track he won at we think he can get back to his best.

The second contest of the day is a very hot Novices Hurdle event over two miles and in a field full of proven winners we have had to look into past form lines with our selection.

Front View for trainer Joseph O'Brien could have a big say in one of the handicap hurdles at the Cheltenham festival and he can boost his credentials if seeing off this smart field.

He has raced twice this season, finishing second behind Envoi Allen on his hurdling debut at Down Royal and then used that form to see off stablemate Uhtred and Jon Snow for Willie Mullins at Cork which is form that has been franked.

The two mile four furlongs Maiden Hurdle sees a large field head to post that will act as a perfect prep run for a race like the Fred Winter at the festival.

Pencilfulloflead for Gordon Elliott looks to be a very smart recruit for the yard starting in November in a bumper and winning nicely at Down Royal, having to battle for room all the way up to the line.

He was put in another bumper and was less than impressive which saw Elliott send him over hurdles at Naas where he finished a smart second behind Grade One winner Asterion Forlonge for Willie Mullins.

With the form being franked in that contest and the Mullins horse now a big chance for the Supreme at Cheltenham he has to be the one to beat.

A small fielded Novice Chase looks competitive enough for just the four runners and Zero Ten for trainer Emmet Mullins looks the pick of the bunch.

The seven year old has raced twice this season making his chase debut at Galway when winning a 17 runner event before stepping into a tougher contest at Naas last time out and finishing a fair second behind the highly touted Cash Back.

That form sets the standard in this race and having previously been a smart horses, winning at this track last season adds to his chances on Sunday.

It's not a proper meeting at Punchestown without a huge fielded Handicap Chase and this time is is the Grand National Trial over three miles four furlongs.

With 19 runners set to go to post it will be a real test for all the runners in the event and the one we like is the Michael Hourigan trained The Gatechecker.

This 10 year old three starts ago won the Cork Grand National Handicap Chase over the same trip and since then has been begging out for a staying contest and he gets it again today.

The final contest of the day at Punchestown is a handy looking bumper over two miles and we are giving another chance to Ferny Hollow for Willie Mullins.

The five year old was bought for £300,000 by Cheveley Park Stud at the Cheltenham sales in February 2019 after impressing when winning a point to point in Ireland.

Since then he has been involved in two bumpers showing plenty of promise but never being able to see out his races finishing second both times but hopefully for those experiences he can get off the mark.