18:00 Punchestown

Thursday 28 April 2022

All15:4016:1516:5017:2518:0018:3519:1019:45

Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)

Off time: 18:01 | Winning time: 5m 54.9s

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Selected odds by:

The Very Man⁴¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: J B Foley⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 141| D

25/1

Seven wins from 23 NH runs. Latest win in hurdle at Navan in January. Bit below form fourteenth of 23 in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham (20.2f, good to soft, 66/1) 41 days ago. That isn't a race to judge him harshly on,

Form: U45P10

Unexpected Depth^v1⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: B Browne| T: O McKiernan| OR: 139| CD

14/1

C&D winner. 9/4, respectable second of 5 in minor event hurdle at Thurles (23f, good to soft) 40 days ago, unsuited by emphasis on speed. Visor replaces cheekpieces and he has a bit to prove at present.

Form: 440-992

Macs Charm⁴⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: B Hayes| T: Colm Murphy| OR: 137

11/1

9/4, career best when winning 11-runner handicap hurdle at Naas (19f, heavy) 46 days ago by 4¾ lengths from Festival D'ex, forging clear. Thriving and step up in trip sure to suit.

Form: 40-2111

Panda Boy⁸²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: J J Slevin| T: M Brassil| OR: 136| C| D

10/1

Course winner. Latest win in hurdle at Leopardstown in December. Below form tenth of 24 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, good to soft, 15/2) 82 days ago, though he was caught wide.

Form: 175-910

Sassy Yet Classy^b⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr R James⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 136| CD

8/1

C&D winner. Latest win in hurdle here in November. Brought down in handicap hurdle (9/1) at Cheltenham (24f, good to soft) 42 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: 2-31U2B

Capilano Bridge^p,t¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁷⁾| T: C O'Dwyer| OR: 134

20/1

12/1, career best when winning 17-runner handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (21.5f, good to soft) 10 days ago by 2¼ lengths from Silver Sheen, always holding on. 9 lb rise asks for more.

Form: 080351

Maze Runner⁴³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Kieran Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 133| D

14/1

40/1, fifth of 23 in handicap hurdle at Cheltenham (21f, soft) 43 days ago. Shaped well in a tough race to make up ground and he remains of interest.

Form: 01-0065

Doctor Duffy^v¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: P T Enright| T: C Byrnes| OR: 132

40/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2020. 7/1, creditable 8 lengths second of 5 to Melon in Imperial Call Chase at Cork (24f, heavy) 11 days ago. Lower hurdles mark is justified.

Form: 008UP2

Broomfields Jeremy^t¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: L P Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 131

66/1

25/1 and tongue strap on for first time, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (21.5f, good to soft) 10 days ago won by Capilano Bridge. Bit to prove at present.

Form: F-531FP

City Chief²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 131| D

7/2

Career best when winning 6-runner handicap hurdle (11/8) at Ayr (24.3f, good to soft) 27 days ago, responding well. Unexposed for top yard and limit not yet reached.

Form: 12211

Dark Voyager^t1⁸²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: B J Cooper| T: W P Mullins| OR: 129

50/1

50/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, good to soft) 82 days ago, pulled up before 2 out. Tongue strap reached for.

Form: 1324PP

Silver Sheen^b¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: R M Power| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 129| D

16/1

Good 2¼ lengths second of 17 to Capilano Bridge in handicap hurdle (25/1) at Fairyhouse (21.5f, good to soft) 10 days ago. 4 lb rise isn't ideal but likely to give it another good shot.

Form: 006502

Bread And Butter¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: A P Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: Ms H P Markham| OR: 125

25/1

Fifteen runs since last win in 2020. 16/1, creditable third of 14 in handicap hurdle at Cork (19f, heavy) 11 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 723233

Bugs Moran¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: J W Kennedy| T: N Meade| OR: 125| D

11/1

Career best when winning 16-runner handicap hurdle (10/1) at Fairyhouse (24.5f, good to soft) 12 days ago. Open to further progress.

Form: 424431

Morosini¹³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: C F Hart⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 125

40/1

25/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, good to soft) 131 days ago. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: P87-P4P

Sparkling Stars²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: D E Mullins| T: R O'Brien| OR: 125

10/1

Two wins from 5 runs last season. 11/5, career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Limerick (21f, good to soft) 21 days ago. In excellent heart and this trip should be within range.

Form: 4-58121

A Great View^p⁸²

Age: 11| Weight: 10-9| J: M P Walsh| T: D Cullen| OR: 124| CD

10/1

C&D winner. Fifteen runs since last win in 2018. Respectable eighth of 24 in handicap hurdle (20/1) at Leopardstown (24f, good to soft) 82 days ago. Can make presence felt.

Form: 0-43248

Walking On Glass^p⁵⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: S D Torrens| T: P Roche| OR: 124

33/1

20/1, respectable fifth of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (16f) 55 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles.

Form: 3-D1680

Mahler Allstar³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: S F O'Keeffe| T: J J Mangan| OR: 123

20/1

Didn't need to be at best when winning 11-runner novice hurdle at Cork (20f, good to soft, 1/5) 35 days ago, easily. This a totally different ask in this big-field handicap.

Form: 30/3-U41

The Bomber Liston¹⁷⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Aidan Coleman| T: N J Henderson| OR: 123| BF

14/1

Promising sort. One win from 3 runs last season. 13/8, creditable second of 11 in handicap hurdle at Plumpton (20.5f, good to soft) 178 days ago, rallying. Looks competitive on form up in distance.

Form: 32-312

Whatsavailable¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: D J O'Keeffe| T: M F Morris| OR: 122

12/1

Career best when winning 22-runner novice hurdle (3/1) at Fairyhouse (20f, good to soft) 12 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 633421

Mercury Lane^p,t⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-6| J: J C Gainford| T: P Nolan| OR: 121| D

40/1

Creditable fifth of 11 in handicap chase (4/1) at Navan (24f, heavy) 47 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: C00855

Tucanae^p³²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: R Deegan| T: P Nolan| OR: 120| D

50/1

Cheekpieces on for first time, fourth of 7 in minor event hurdle at Limerick (16f, good to soft, 5/1) 32 days ago. Upped markedly in trip.

Form: 5-54F44

Molly Wedger¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: R J Condon⁽⁷⁾| T: Dermot P O'Brien| OR: 120

80/1

Below form fifteenth of 24 in handicap hurdle at this course (19.8f, good to soft, 66/1) 1 day ago. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: 122860

Lord Erskine¹⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: Sam Ewing| T: H Rogers| OR: 119

50/1

Respectable 13¼ lengths third of 17 to Capilano Bridge in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (21.5f, good to soft, 50/1) 10 days ago, faring best of those held up. RESERVE.

Form: 20/19-03

Non-Runners

Festival D'ex¹⁰

Weight: 11-1| Age: 7

T: G Elliott J: D N Russell

Midnight It Is¹

Weight: 10-6| Age: 6

T: G P Cromwell J: S W Flanagan

Limerick Lace¹

Weight: 10-5| Age: 5

T: G P Cromwell J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

City Chief (7/2), Sassy Yet Classy (8/1), A Great View (10/1), Sparkling Stars (10/1), Panda Boy (10/1), Bugs Moran (11/1), Macs Charm (11/1), Whatsavailable (12/1), Festival D'ex (12/1), Maze Runner (14/1), The Bomber Liston (14/1), Unexpected Depth (14/1), Midnight It Is (14/1), Silver Sheen (16/1), Capilano Bridge (20/1), Limerick Lace (20/1), Mahler Allstar (20/1), The Very Man (25/1), Bread And Butter (25/1), Walking On Glass (33/1), Morosini (40/1), Mercury Lane (40/1), Doctor Duffy (40/1), Lord Erskine (50/1), Tucanae (50/1), Dark Voyager (50/1), Broomfields Jeremy (66/1), Molly Wedger (80/1)

MACS CHARM has improved at a rate of knots in handicaps and with this step up in trip likely to draw out further improvement, his winning sequence may about to be extended. As you would expect there are a host of potential dangers, headed by City Chief and Maze Runner.