Skip to content

Racecards

16:30 Punchestown (IRE)

AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (Grade 1) (Class 1)

  • 13 Runners
  • Distance: 2m
  • Going: Heavy
  • Surface: Turf
  • €80,000 added
  • Winner: €49,600
  • 2nd: €15,200
  • 3rd: €7,200
  • 4th: €2,400
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 4m 7.80s
  • Off Time: 16:30:09
  • 13 Ran
1
Silk - MAROON, white star & armlet, maroon cap, white star

Arnaud (IRE)

18 BFD
33/1
  • Form 14558
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 129

waited with, towards rear approaching 3 out, no extra from next

2
Silk - Red, emerald green disc, emerald green sleeves, red stars, red cap
  • Form 1111F
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 141

bad mistake and unseated rider 1st

3
Silk - PINK, light green spots, pink sleeves & cap
8/1
  • Form 210
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 135

prominent in chasing group, closer in 3rd into straight, kept on same pace under pressure from before last

4
Silk - DARK BLUE & EMERALD GREEN HOOPS, quartered cap
33/1
  • Form 71
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 121

mid-division best, no impression 2 out

5
Silk - MAROON, white star & armlet, maroon cap, white star

Edeymi (IRE)

18 t D
12/1
  • Form 343120
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 135

waited with, towards rear approaching 3 out, no extra from next

6
Silk - MAROON, white star & armlet, maroon cap, white star
  • Form 821986
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 130

well off pace towards rear, some headway from 2 out, soon no impression and kept on same pace

7
Silk - PURPLE, yellow cross of lorraine, yellow cap
4/1
  • Form U22212
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 142

chased leaders, well off pace, went in pursuit of leader from before straight, on terms at last, led and stayed on best closing stages

8
Silk - DARK BLUE, MAROON star, MAROON cap
25/1
  • Form 131330
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 132

prominent in chasing group, closer in 4th into straight, struggling when bumped approaching last, soon no impression and kept on same pace

9
Silk - DARK BLUE, yellow diamond & sleeves, yellow cap, red diamond
6/1
  • Form 120
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 136

waited with well off pace towards rear, some headway from 2 out, soon no impression and kept on same pace

10
Silk - Red, mauve sleeves & cap
  • Form 41
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 134

led and soon clear, reduced lead approaching straight, headed and no extra when short of room before last, kept on same pace

11
Silk - EMERALD GREEN, white star, white chevrons on sleeves, white cap
5/1
  • Form 2117P
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 137

waited with well off pace in mid-division, closer in 5th into straight, squeezed way out to challenge approaching last where on terms, not match winner and kept on same pace in 2nd closing stages

12
Silk - Red, large white spots, white sleeves, red spots, white cap
10/1
  • Form 545
  • Age 4
  • Weight 11-0
  • Official Rating 135

soon chased leaders, well off pace, closer in 6th and flicked tail into straight, ridden to chase leaders and no impression run-in, kept on same pace

13
Silk - White, dark green braces, pink armlet, pink cap
33/1
  • Form 13
  • Age 4
  • Weight 10-7
  • Official Rating 119

prominent in chasing group, headway from 2 out, soon no impression and kept on same pace

In depth

Verdict

Raiders from the UK have regularly won this so Unknown Rebel and the Alan King pair Secret Edge and BALDER SUCCESS have to be respected. The latter looks the one to be on here as he looked a future star when completing a four-timer at Ascot in February and was strongly fancied for the Triumph Hurdle but ran too freely before falling at the fourth. Whether he would have beaten subsequent runner-up Hisaabaat that day is a matter of conjecture but he's much more likely to be suited by these testing conditions than Dermot Weld's charge and can gain compensation for his Festival lapse. Shadow Catcher had been narrowly beaten by Hisaabaat at Leopardstown and got no sort of run at Cheltenham. He'll finish much closer this time and had Darroun close behind over the C&D in December. Ut De Sivola was pulled up in the Triumph where the ground was too quick but shouldn't be overlooked as he'd beaten Hisaabaat comfortably in a Grade 3 on testing ground here in January.

Formwatch

Arnaud (IRE) 2-1fav (11-0) Chased leaders, 4th halfway, ridden and no extra 2 out, 8th of 11, 25l behind Ballynacree (11-0) at Fairyhouse 2m 4yo hdl Grd 3 (1) gs.

Balder Succes (FR) 15-2 (11-0) Held up mid-division on outside when fell 4th, in a race won by Countrywide Flame (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 1f 4yo hdl Grade 1 (1) gd in Mar, 20 ran.

Darroun (IRE) 14-1 (11-0) Tracked leader, lost place 2 out, soon weakened, 13th of 20, 29l behind Countrywide Flame (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 1f 4yo hdl Grade 1 (1) gd in Mar.

Darwins Theory (IRE) Evensfav (11-2) Tracked leaders, went 2nd 2 out, 2nd travelling well entering straight, led 1f out and soon pushed clear, kept on well, won at Wexford 2m 4yo mdn hdl sft in Mar beating Groomed (11-7) by 2 3/4l, 10 ran.

Edeymi (IRE) 3-1 (11-0) Mid-division, 6th halfway, ridden and weakened entering, tailed off, last of 11, well behind Ballynacree (11-0) at Fairyhouse 2m 4yo hdl Grd 3 (1) gs.

His Excellency (IRE) 16-1 (10-13) In rear, ridden to chase leaders and no impression from before last where mistake, kept on same pace run-in, 6th of 12, 10l behind Jenari (11-5) at Fairyhouse 2m 4f nov hdl G2 (1) gd.

Hisaabaat (IRE) 20-1 (11-0) Mid-division on inside, chased leaders 2 out, 4th last, ridden and stayed on flat, went 2nd towards finish, never reached winner, 2nd of 20, 3l behind Countrywide Flame (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 1f 4yo hdl Grade 1 (1) gd in Mar.

Secret Edge 25-1 (10-12) Tracked leaders, not fluent 6th, soon ridden, weakened after 3 out, 12th of 17, well behind Simonsig (11-7) at Cheltenham 2m 5f nov hdl Grade 1 (1) gd in Mar.

Shadow Catcher 10-1 (11-0) Raced keenly, towards rear, mistake 4th, headway on inside 2 out, outpaced when not much room between last 2, weakened last, 12th of 20, 29l behind Countrywide Flame (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 1f 4yo hdl Grade 1 (1) gd in Mar.

Unknown Rebel (IRE) 5-2 (10-7) Jumped well, made all, clear with 2nd before 4th, ran on strongly, unchallenged, won at Market Rasen 2m 1f 3yo hdl (4) gd in Nov beating Kazlian (10-12) by 15l, 8 ran.

Ut De Sivola (FR) 20-1 (11-0) Mid-division, lost place 2 out, soon weakened, pulled up before last, in a race won by Countrywide Flame (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 1f 4yo hdl Grade 1 (1) gd in Mar, 20 ran.

Wingtips (FR) 100-1 (11-0) Held up towards rear, headway into mid-division before 2 out, ridden and kept on from last, no impression with leaders, 5th of 20, 9l behind Countrywide Flame (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 1f 4yo hdl Grade 1 (1) gd in Mar.

Maggie Neary (IRE) 15-8fav (10-6) Held up towards rear, headway in 4th 3 out, travelled well in 3rd entering straight, mistake 2 out, soon ridden and no impression, kept on one pace, 3rd of 7, 12l behind Tango Banbou (11-2) at Gowran Park 2m nov hdl (4-6yo) in Mar.