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Punchestown Day Four Tips

4.20 – Punchestown – I firmly expect ERICHT to step up on his hugely disappointing run in the Rewards4Racing Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival with both this much quicker ground and going right-handed very much in his favour. His mark of 139 is probably about right for what he has achieved this season and the Nicky Henderson charge is my back-up bet behind SHAMIRAN.

The last named is 2lbs out of the handicap here, but remains unexposed over fences and could well reduce the gap on Some Tikket on their Fairyhouse form last month. On that occasion the pace wasn’t as quick as I thought it would be despite plenty of competition for the early lead and a fuller end to end gallop here will serve this nine-year-old well.

Top weight Road To Riches has the latent talent to take this, but from one day to the next you never know what you are going to get with him. There is also the small matter that he is surely a better horse going left-handed such is his jumping style and there are probably bigger dangers in the form of Balnaslow and Cork winner Operating.

BET NOW – ERICHT

BET NOW – SHAMIRAN (e/w)

4.55 – Punchestown – Nicky Henderson has no less than the three top weights in this mares handicap chase and preference is for NADIYA DE LA VEGA to reverse recent Fairyhouse form with stable mate Une Artiste. The selection seemed revitalised by retuning to Fairyhouse that day and with a 1lb pull in the weights there will obviously be very little between them here.

His third runner, Utopie Des Bordes hasn’t run over fences since landing the Grade One Priz Maurice Gillois at Auteuil at the backend of 2012, but showed she was on good terms with herself with a solid run behind Doctor Harper in a hot handicap hurdle at Aintree where she led until the final 75 yards.

Of the home trained runners, outsider Lough Roe Lad will relish the step up to an extended two and a half miles on this ground, while Sugar Bullet could also be overpriced on this good surface. The 7lbs penalty for a hard fought success may just stop the in-form She’s Got Grit from completing the hat-trick in this better contest.

BET NOW – NADIYA DE LA VEGA       

6.40 – Punchestown – With the Champion Hurdle and Racing Post Novice Champion Hurdle not really punting events in my book I have decided to have a wager in this novice event won last year by Un De Sceaux. 

This time around Willie Mullins is represented by Arctic Fire and the five-year-old has concrete claims on his very best form. However, I think the value lies elsewhere especially as the market leader has had a long season and some tough races in higher grade to boot. So, the each-way call for me has to be on SIZING COLDELCO.

Henry De Bromhead has always thought a bit of this son of Flemensfirth and unlike the favourite he will arrive here a fresh horse following only the third start of his career when third in the Listed Kingfurze Novice Hurdle. He would almost certainly have troubled the winner that day had he not had a fight with the second last and there is more to come from him. Indian File and Rock The World also have place claims, while I expect to see the Richard Lee trained Gassin Golf outrun his double figure odds.

BET NOW – SIZING COLDELCO (e/w)