Sunday 1 February 2015 11:40, UK
Our Irish Eyes column returns with the best bets at Punchestown as the Grade Two Tied Cottage Chase takes centre stage.
Each-way: Portrait King, 4.10 Punchestown
The Grade Two Tied Cottage Chase takes centre stage at Punchestown today as the search continues for a second credible Irish-trained Champion Chase contender to join Champagne Fever.
Twinlight was fancied to put it up to Dodging Bullets and Sprinter Sacre at Ascot but he was unable to raise his game sufficiently and finished eight lengths back in third.
That was just two weeks ago and he returns here as the highest rated horse in the field with old rival Hidden Cyclone to beat.
Twinlight beat Hidden Cyclone by a comprehensive 4 ¾ lengths in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over the Christmas period but, given the grade, they were obviously competing off levels that today whereas today the tables have been turned and Hidden Cyclone – officially rated just 3lbs lower – is in receipt of 8lbs from Twinlight which would give him every chance on the book.
Lite Duties has to concede a massive 13lbs to Mydor. Throw in the rumours all week that the Tony Martin stable consider Mydor at least as good as Dara Tango (who was giving 9lbs to Lite Duties last time out) and Mydor looks as dependable as Hurricane Fly.
However, horseracing is rarely that simple and despite the fact that Hidden Cyclone is favourite due to the significant turnaround in weights, Twinlight is expected to maintain his superiority on this track.
He was third in a Grade 1 Novice Hurdle before winning his next two starts at the track - both on heavy ground over fences. His only disappointment from four runs here was when finishing sixth in the Champion Chase last season on good ground which also happened to coincide with Hidden Cyclone’s only lifetime run at the track.
On the day, Hidden Cyclone was the warm favourite but he fell at the fifth. At today’s prices and on the ground, Twinlight gets the vote at 15/8 with Skybet.
Portrait King could roll back the year by winning the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (4.10). Having won the race in 2012 he finished a good fourth last year. He won his prep here at Punchestown last month when, having looked dead and buried, his stamina kicked in and he stormed home to ultimately run out a very comfortable winner at the line. He’s gone up 5lbs for that but if the race didn’t take too much out of him, he should draw today, with the additional 3 furlongs being right up his alley.
General Principle in the concluding bumper has been the talk of Ireland over the last week. Following an eight-length win in point-to-point he changed hands for £80,000 two weeks later and now lines up for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House. Elliott has an enviable strike rate in bumper this season and this son of young stallion Gold Well, a full-brother to Montjeu who is already responsible for the likes of Holywell and John’s Spirit, is likely to take plenty of beating.
The nap selection comes in a slight unusual race, the 18-runner handicap hurdle.
Mydor leaps out here for many reasons and at 9/4 looks value despite the number of runners and prizemoney on offer.
Bookmakers have decided that this race effectively comes down to Mydor and Lite Duties and you can get 10/1+ about any other horse in the race.
Both horses represent the two most successful trainer/jockey combinations in recent Irish handicap history; Mydor for Tony Martin and Ruby Walsh comes here in search of a hat-trick of wins whilst Lite Duties, representing Charles Byrnes and Davy Russell, already has that hat-trick under his belt.
Lite Duties beat the Tony Martin-trained Dara Tango on his last start but that was crucially over half-a-mile shorter than today’s trip and despite having won over 2m6f in the past, today is the first time Lite Duties attempts 3 miles. The fact that he is rated 10lbs superior to Mydor gives him a stiff enough task but when you consider the latter is only a 5yo, it means Lite Duties has to concede a massive 13lbs to Mydor today.
Throw in the rumours all week that the Martin stable consider Mydor at least as good as Dara Tango (who was giving 9lbs to Lite Duties last time out) and Mydor looks as dependable as Hurricane Fly.
There is one crucial difference however from a betting prospective, other than their class of course, and that is ‘the Fly’ is a much better jumper than Mydor who could have been chasing a four-timer today but for a sprawling mistake at Cork three runs back. He also made a mistake at the last when winning at Leopardstown two weeks ago.
All things considered though, Mydor has enough in his favour to win this impressively today.
