Sport : Horse Racing

Racecard

Punchestown - Thu 26th Apr 2012
15:40 16:15 16:50 17:30 18:05 18:40 19:15

18:40 Ryanair Novice Chase 2m
Abandoned - (Class 1), €100,000 added, 5yo+, 7 runners
Winner €62,000 2nd €19,000 3rd €9,000 4th €3,000
Surface: Turf

No	Form	Horse	A	Wgt	Jockey	Trainer	OR
1	261155-	Blackstairmountain (IRE) 44	7	11-10 t	R Walsh	W P Mullins	145
2	121P22	First Lieutenant (IRE) 43	7	11-10	D N Russell	M F Morris	153
3	1244U1-	Lucky William (IRE) 17	8	11-10	B J Geraghty	T Cooper	144
4	411F31	Menorah (IRE) 14	7	11-10	R Johnson	P J Hobbs	157
5	122326-	Nearest The Pin (IRE) 67	7	11-10 t	P Carberry	A J Martin	132
6	120P2P	Regal D'estruval (FR) 17	7	11-10	T J Doyle	J H Culloty	126
7	212234-	Kumbeshwar 14	5	11-3 b	R Thornton	A King	144

Verdict

Philip Hobbs won this last year with Captain Chris and produced a brilliant training performance to get Snap Tie to score on the first day here after a very long absence. He'll be hoping Menorah can keep up the run, especially after his best run so far over fences at Aintree where he relished the step-up to 2m4f to beat four rivals in the Grade 1 Manifesto. That was a relatively weak event for a Grade 1 however and he didn't have much to spare over Kumbeshwar over this trip at Kempton in January and the latter has been beaten three times subsequently. If connections decide to run FIRST LIEUTENANT, he's the one to be on as he would look a good bet here on decent ground and hopefully can handle these conditions. He's finished runner-up to high-class opposition in Last Instalment and Bobs Worth in his two latest starts and his overall form gives him the edge over Menorah. Blackstairmountain was a bit fortunate to win the Grade 1 Racing Post Novices' at Leopardstown and has struggled against better opposition subsequently though he does hold Lucky William on that form.

Formwatch

Blackstairmountain (IRE) 20-1 (11-7) Held up in last pair in touch, outpaced 3 out, never on terms, 5th of 6, 36l behind Sprinter Sacre (11-7) at Cheltenham 2m nov chs G1 (1) gd in Mar.

First Lieutenant (IRE) 9-2 (11-4) Tracked leaders on outside, joined leader and took keen hold after 8th, led narrowly before 12th, hard pressed 3 out, headed last, ridden and kept on until no extra final 75 yards, 2nd of 9, 2 1/2l behind Bobs Worth (11-4) at Cheltenham 3m nov chs G1 (1) gd in Mar.

Lucky William (IRE) 5-1fav (11-10) Chased leaders, moderate 5th halfway, headway into 3rd entering straight, ridden to challenge 2 out, led approaching last, kept on well, won at Fairyhouse 2m 1f nov chs gs beating Last Time D'albain (11-0) by 1 1/4l, 17 ran.

Menorah (IRE) 3-1 (11-4) Tracked leaders, hit 10th, mistake 12th, challenged 3 out, led next, clear before last, ran on well, ridden out, won at Aintree 2m 4f nov chs G1 (1) gs beating Cristal Bonus (11-4) by 7l, 5 ran.

Nearest The Pin (IRE) 7-4fav (11-4) Held up towards rear, 5th before straight, soon struggling, kept on same pace, lame post race, last of 6, 25l behind Donnas Palm (11-4) at Navan 2m 1f nov chs G2 (1) sft in Feb.

Regal D'estruval (FR) 12-1 (11-1) Led, headed 5 out, ridden and weakened next, pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by Lucky William (11-10) at Fairyhouse 2m 1f nov chs gs, 17 ran.

Kumbeshwar 7-1 (11-2) In touch, chased leader 5 out, lost place 3 out, kept on same pace, no impression before last, 4th of 13, 23l behind Edgardo Sol (11-0) at Aintree 2m hcp chs G3 (1) gs.