19:00 Punchestown

Wednesday 28 April 2021

All15:4016:1516:5017:2017:5518:3019:0019:35

Guinness Handicap Chase (Grade A)

Off time: 19:01 | Winning time: 5m 16.2s

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Selected odds by:

Chosen Mate^b1,t⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: J W Kennedy| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 153

33/1

Below form tenth of 19 in handicap chase at Cheltenham (15.9f, good to soft, 7/1) 42 days ago. Back up in trip and blinkers on 1st time. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 04P600

Royal Rendezvous^h²⁷³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: S F O'Keeffe| T: W P Mullins| OR: 153| BF| D

14/1

Latest win in chase at Naas in March 2020. 4/1, creditable second of 21 in handicap chase at Galway (22.5f, soft). Off 9 months, but each-way claims if fully tuned-up.

Form: P1351-2

Snow Falcon^p²³

Age: 11| Weight: 11-9| J: S W Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 152| D

50/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable 7¼ lengths third of 6 to Easy Game in Devenish Chase at Fairyhouse (20f, good to soft, 18/1) 23 days ago. Others preferred from a win point of view.

Form: 630-633

Annamix^t²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: D E Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 151| D

25/1

Latest win in chase at Gowran in November. 11/2, 13¼ lengths fourth of 6 to Easy Game in Devenish Chase at Fairyhouse (20f, good to soft) 23 days ago. Makes handicap chase debut.

Form: 1-14344

Livelovelaugh^t¹⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-6| J: B Hayes| T: W P Mullins| OR: 149| C| D

8/1

15/2, career best when winning 26-runner handicap chase at Aintree (21.1f, good to soft) 19 days ago, kept up to work. Just 4 lb higher here and he's not taken lightly.

Form: 372321

Mortal^p,t²³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 145

100/1

150/1, below form fifteenth of 28 in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (29.2f, good to soft) 23 days ago. Significantly back down in trip.

Form: F40PF0

Embittered^t⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: C P McNamara⁽³⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 144| BF| C

8/1

9/2, fell in handicap chase at Cheltenham (15.9f, good to soft) 42 days ago. Up in trip and, 2 lb lower here, he is high on the shortlist.

Form: 3-2244F

Black Op^p,t⁴⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: T Scudamore| T: T R George| OR: 143| D

9/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, bit below form well-beaten seventh of 12 to Minella Indo in Cheltenham Gold Cup (26.3f, good to soft, 125/1) 40 days ago. Merits consideration back in handicap company.

Form: 22-4967

The West's Awake^b,t¹⁹⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-13| J: D J O'Keeffe| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 142| CD

66/1

C&D winner. Eleven runs since last win in 2019. Below form seventh of 16 in handicap chase (10/1) at Limerick (24f, heavy). Off 6 months and it's best to look elsewhere.

Form: PP-3447

Snugsborough Hall^h¹⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-11| J: E Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: L P Cusack| OR: 140| CD

16/1

Respectable 17½ lengths fourth of 26 to Livelovelaugh in handicap chase at Aintree (21.1f, good to soft, 20/1) 19 days ago, faring best of those held up. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: P-45774

Ten Ten⁴⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: M P Walsh| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 139| BF| D

11/1

Good second of 14 in handicap chase at Naas (24.6f, heavy, 7/2) 45 days ago. Not without each-way hope.

Form: 3-50P22

Dunvegan^t1¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: B J Cooper| T: P A Fahy| OR: 137| C| D

7/1

Course winner. Bit below form 27½ lengths sixth of 26 to Livelovelaugh in handicap chase (10/1) at Aintree (21.1f, good to soft) 19 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time.

Form: 2-4PP36

Pont Aven⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: A W Short| T: W P Mullins| OR: 136

40/1

Pulled up in handicap chase at Gowran (18f, heavy, 15/2) 47 days ago, behind when pulled up after 4 out. Yard saddles stronger candidates.

Form: P-942PP

Fitzhenry^b,t²³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-6| J: J S McGarvey| T: P Nolan| OR: 135| D

18/1

Below form sixteenth of 28 in handicap chase (25/1) at Fairyhouse (29.2f, good to soft) 23 days ago, left poorly placed. Significantly down in trip. Others more persuasive.

Form: 507030

Midnight Maestro³¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-6| J: T Joseph Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: E Bolger| OR: 135| D

28/1

Two wins from 6 runs last season. Career best when winning 7-runner handicap chase at Limerick (19.6f, heavy, 17/2) 31 days ago, well on top finish. This is tougher.

Form: 061PF1

Crossed My Mind^p²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: D F O'Regan| T: A L T Moore| OR: 134| D

11/1

Two wins from 4 runs last season. 4/1, respectable eighth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Cork (19f, good to soft) 24 days ago. Switches from hurdles to chase. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 8P-1188

Minella Till Dawn^b⁴⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: J C Gainford⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 134| D

16/1

Latest win in chase at Naas in February. 10/1, below form fourth of 14 in handicap chase at Gowran (18f, heavy) 47 days ago, but enters calculations nonetheless.

Form: P3-7P14

Jack Hackett³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-4| J: C J Orr⁽³⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 133| C| D

66/1

Course winner. 11/1, 32¼ lengths fourth of 7 to I'm A Game Changer in Gr 3 chase at Thurles (18f, good to soft) 39 days ago. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: F09244

Blazer^p⁴⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-3| J: S D Torrens⁽³⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 132| C

16/1

Course winner. 20/1, eleventh of 14 in handicap chase at Naas (24.6f, heavy) 45 days ago. Yard having good spell. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 7437F0

Or Jaune De Somoza^p⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-3| J: K C Sexton| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 132

66/1

25/1, fifteenth of 19 in handicap chase at Cheltenham (15.9f, good to soft) 42 days ago. Up in trip and needs to bounce back in a big way.

Form: F67560

Lord Schnitzel^t³⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-2| J: D P Maxwell⁽⁷⁾| T: M J Smith| OR: 131

20/1

13/2, respectable fourth of 12 in novice chase at Thurles (22f, good to soft) 39 days ago. Booking of Maxwell a plus and can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 340P-P4

Thatsy^p,t¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: L P Dempsey| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 129| D

25/1

Makes handicap chase debut and will need to take a significant step forward if he's to play a leading role.

Form: 7-24564

Foxy Jacks^h²³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-13| J: J M Moore| T: M F Morris| OR: 128| CD

25/1

17/2, bit below form sixth of 12 in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (24.7f, good to soft) 23 days ago. Plenty to find on form.

Form: P5R766

Tiger Voice^t³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-13| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 128

10/1

Promising individual. Creditable 13 lengths third of 7 to Midnight Maestro in handicap chase (5/2) at Limerick (19.6f, heavy) 31 days ago. Should be thereabouts.

Form: 00-1F43

Forecasts

Dunvegan (7/1), Embittered (8/1), Livelovelaugh (8/1), Black Op (9/1), Tiger Voice (10/1), Crossed My Mind (11/1), Ten Ten (11/1), Royal Rendezvous (14/1), Blazer (16/1), Minella Till Dawn (16/1), Snugsborough Hall (16/1), Fitzhenry (18/1), Lord Schnitzel (20/1), Foxy Jacks (25/1), Annamix (25/1), Thatsy (25/1), Midnight Maestro (28/1), Chosen Mate (33/1), Pont Aven (40/1), Snow Falcon (50/1), Jack Hackett (66/1), The West's Awake (66/1), Or Jaune De Somoza (66/1), Mortal (100/1)

TIGER VOICE was 13 lengths adrift of Midnight Maestro at Limerick in March, but he was returning from a 5-month absence that day and will be sharper now. The 6-y-o remains open to improvement in this sphere and is marginally preferred to Embittered, who shapes as though he'll benefit from this step up in trip. British raider Black Op and recent Topham winner Livelovelaugh are others to consider.