16:30 Punchestown

Sunday 14 February 2021

All13:3014:0014:3015:0015:3016:0016:3017:00

Punchestown Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (Grade B)

Off time: 16:31 | Winning time: 8m 9.4s

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Selected odds by:

Alpha Des Obeaux^b,t¹⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr R James⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 149| C

50/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2018. Pulled up in handicap chase at Gowran (25f, heavy, 33/1) 17 days ago, pulled up before 3 out.

Form: 33-595P

Moyhenna⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: D E Mullins| T: D Hogan| OR: 145| C

12/1

Course winner. 7/1, good ½-length second of 5 to Agusta Gold in Grade 3 mares event at Fairyhouse (21.2f, heavy) 42 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Stable having good spell.

Form: 9240P2

Discordantly¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 141

11/1

Latest win in chase at Galway in October. Unseated rider in handicap chase at Gowran (25f, heavy, 9/1) 17 days ago.

Form: 14-149U

Dounikos^p1⁷⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: B J Cooper| T: G Elliott| OR: 140| C

40/1

Course winner. Pulled up in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (29f, soft, 66/1) 77 days ago, pulled up after next. Cheekpieces on for 1st time.

Form: PP/5P-0P

Roaring Bull^b¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 139| C

18/1

Pulled up in handicap chase (20/1) at Gowran (25f, heavy) 17 days ago, pulled up before 2 out.

Form: P-P2P0P

The Big Dog¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Mr J J Codd| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 136| BF

5/2

Good third of 9 in novice chase at Navan (24f, heavy, 11/8) 16 days ago. Makes handicap chase debut. One to note.

Form: 9/2-3U33

Monbeg Notorious^v⁴⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: D F O'Regan| T: G Elliott| OR: 135| C

50/1

Temperamental sort. Course winner. Seven wins from 24 NH runs. Pulled up in handicap chase at Leopardstown (24.2f, soft, 100/1) 49 days ago, losing place before seventh.

Form: 7071-PP

Smoking Gun^t¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: H Morgan⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 135| C

25/1

Course winner. Five wins from 17 NH runs. 10/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, pulled up in handicap chase at Gowran (25f, heavy) 17 days ago, behind when pulled up 2 out.

Form: 195-73P

Thermistocles¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-7| J: Donagh Meyler| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 132

14/1

Promising individual. 28/1, respectable fifth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Naas (15.7f, heavy) 14 days ago. Switches from hurdles to chase. Makes handicap chase debut. Merits consideration.

Form: 0P031-5

Nick Lost¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 130| C

7/1

Course winner. 16/1, creditable third of 12 in handicap chase at Thurles (21.5f, heavy) 18 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Has to be taken seriously.

Form: 12366/3

Castle Oliver³⁴³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-4| J: J S McGarvey| T: P Roche| OR: 129| BF

40/1

Below form eighth of 14 in handicap chase (11/4) at Naas (24f, soft), finding less than looked likely. Off 11 months.

Form: 901118-

High Sparrow^p²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-4| J: C P McNamara⁽³⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 129| C

16/1

Latest win in chase at Kilbeggan in August. Creditable fourth of 12 in handicap chase at this course (25f, heavy, 18/1) 28 days ago.

Form: 1203P4

Born By The Sea⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Gilligan| OR: 128

11/1

Creditable second of 5 in minor event hurdle at Limerick (20f, heavy, 10/1) 50 days ago. Switches from hurdles to chase. Significantly up in trip. Makes handicap chase debut.

Form: 748412

Screaming Colours^p,t²⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 10-3| J: C J Orr⁽³⁾| T: W Durkan| OR: 128| C

9/1

Course winner. 1 win from 3 runs this season. Good second of 12 in handicap chase at this course (25f, heavy, 7/1) 28 days ago, staying on well. On the upgrade recently.

Form: 8/15-122

Midnight Maestro⁴⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: M P Walsh| T: E Bolger| OR: 127

7/1

Unreliable individual. Career best when winning 20-runner handicap chase at Leopardstown (21f, soft, 16/1) 47 days ago, driven out. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 2P4-061

Fenno's Storm^b,t⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-1| J: S D Torrens⁽⁵⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 126

50/1

Bit below form seventh of 13 in handicap hurdle (15/2) at Fairyhouse (23.5f, heavy) 6 days ago. Switches from hurdles to chase. Makes handicap chase debut.

Form: 814547

Se Mo Laoch^b1⁶⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 10-1| J: Phillip Enright| T: B McMahon| OR: 126| C

11/1

Course winner. Creditable second of 18 in handicap hurdle (11/1) at this course (24f, heavy) 68 days ago, no match for winner. Switches from hurdles to chase. Blinkers on 1st time. Not taken lightly.

Form: 1P416-2

Out Sam^t,v²⁸

Age: 12| Weight: 10-0| J: K C Sexton| T: G Elliott| OR: 125| D

33/1

Unreliable type. Eighteen runs since last win in 2018. 18/1, fell in handicap chase at this course (25f, heavy) 28 days ago.

Form: 3P-F54F

Non-Runners

Tokyo Getaway²⁹

Weight: 9-13| Age: 7

T: G P Cromwell J: Reserve 1

General Principle⁷⁷

Weight: 9-12| Age: 12

T: G Elliott J: Reserve 2

Spades Are Trumps²⁸

Weight: 9-12| Age: 8

T: G P Cromwell J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

The Big Dog (5/2), Nick Lost (7/1), Midnight Maestro (7/1), Screaming Colours (9/1), Se Mo Laoch (11/1), Tokyo Getaway (11/1), Discordantly (11/1), Born By The Sea (11/1), Moyhenna (12/1), Thermistocles (14/1), High Sparrow (16/1), Spades Are Trumps (16/1), Roaring Bull (18/1), Smoking Gun (25/1), Out Sam (33/1), General Principle (33/1), Dounikos (40/1), Castle Oliver (40/1), Monbeg Notorious (50/1), Alpha Des Obeaux (50/1), Fenno's Storm (50/1)

This stiffer test promises to suit SCREAMING COLOURS, who is an improving low-mileage 10-y-o. Nick Lost proved he retains his ability after a long absence at Thurles and is another to consider along with the unexposed The Big Dog.