tote.ie Punchestown Hurdle

Off time: 14:07 | Winning time: 5m 18.1s

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Selected odds by:

Bachasson⁴⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 148| CD

30/100

High-class chaser. Career best when winning 5-runner Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel (20.2f) 49 days ago by 5½ lengths from Cilaos Emery, driven out. No surprise to see him thereabouts back over hurdles.

Form: 14/361-1

City Island^t²⁹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: M Brassil| OR: 153| C

9/2

Useful hurdler. Possibly amiss when pulled up in Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham (24f, soft) back in March. Absent since and the betting may prove the best guide here.

Form: 11/6P2P-

Dallas Des Pictons^p²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 141| CD

28/1

Useful chaser. Fourth of 6 in minor event hurdle (8/1) at Clonmel (24f, heavy) 28 days ago, struggling badly early final circuit and tailed off. Others arrive with more pressing claims.

Form: 3U4U-44

Scarpeta^p²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: D J Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 149

9/1

Classy hurdler on his day but he offered little on return from 21 months off at Clonmel at the start of the month and he's tough to assess on that basis.

Form: P1301/5

Non-Runners

Any Second Now²⁶

Weight: 11-6| Age: 8

T: T M Walsh J: M P Walsh

Darasso²⁵

Weight: 11-6| Age: 7

T: J P O'Brien J: J J Slevin

Forecasts

Bachasson (30/100), Darasso (9/4), City Island (9/2), Scarpeta (9/1), Any Second Now (14/1), Dallas Des Pictons (28/1)

DARASSO was no match for Chacun Pour Soi on his latest start over fences 25 days ago but he holds sound claims on these terms reverting back to timber and earns the vote to come out on top. Bachasson, who landed this race 2 years ago, is the chief danger, ahead of the returning City Island.