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By Dylan Jenear ValueChecker

Will it be a Breeze for Hurricane Fly at Punchestown?
06/05/11

Only six are set to go to post for the highlight of the fourth day of the Punchestown festival on Friday, the Rabobank Champion Hurdle, but it’s a select field headed by Hurricane Fly, who was so imperious at the Cheltenham Festival in March when landing the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Hurricane Fly
© Grossick Racing Photography

Hurricane Fly

Interestingly Irish firm Boylesports are sticking their neck out by offering odds of 8-11 about Willie Mullins crack hurdler, whereas most forms are going 4-6 or 8-13. Given how impressive the seven-year-old was at Cheltenham, 8-11 looks pretty generous to me and if you’re a big-hitter on the betting front then a sizeable wager on the son of Montjeu is worth the investment.

It’s hard to find fault in Hurricane Fly, who has now won eight Grade 1 races; he jumps so slickly, travels ominously well in his races and possesses a potent turn of foot. It was clear from as far out as the third-last in the Champion Hurdle that none were going as well the French import, and while the winning margin was just over a length, Hurricane Fly appeared to idle when he hit the front, so I suspect he beat runner-up Peddlers Cross with more left in the tank than the margin of victory suggests.

In any case, his record is impeccable, and he managed to win this race last year despite having anything but an ideal preparation. He also won the Grade 1 for novices at this meeting in 2009, so success on Friday will be his consecutive victory at the Punchestown festival. It’s hard to envisage Thousand Words or Menorah, fourth and fifth respectively at Cheltenham, exacting revenge here, while Binocular has questions to answer at present, hence the 8-11 looks generous to my mind.

Thousand Words belied odds of 33-1 to finish a highly respectable fourth in the Champion Hurdle and proved that effort to be no fluke when a neck second to Oscar Whisky in the Aintree Hurdle at last month’s Grand National meeting. Binocular was a disappointing fourth in that contest, and while it was his first attempt over 2½m, I’m not so sure that we can attribute that below-par display purely on the trip.

Indeed, Binocular was pulled out of the Champion Hurdle field at the eleventh hour, and his performance at Aintree leads one to believe that that setback may not be as minor as connections first thought. Granted, Nicky Henderson wouldn’t send him across the pond for this race if he didn’t think he was 100 per cent, but he has a fair bit to prove now in my opinion.

Though Thousand Words finished in front of Menorah at Cheltenham, I reckon the latter will be the one to chase Hurricane Fly home in this contest. Philip Hobbs’ charge was still bang there turning for home at Prestbury Park, but a couple of sloppy jumps, including at the last flight, didn’t aid his cause, and he weakened up the hill. Hopefully Alaivan or Blackstairmountain will ensure a good end-to-end gallop, as a tactical affair probably wouldn’t suit Menorah, but providing they don’t go a crawl, he’s the one for the forecast.

Recommendation: Hurricane Fly

 

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