Le Labo

(Joseph O’Brien)

Punchestown, April 28th

It’s difficult to say a horse beaten seven lengths in third is necessarily an unlucky loser, but Le Labo really did well to finish as close as he did in the Grade 1 PRL Champion Novice Hurdle behind Eachtotheirown. The Naas Grade 3 novice hurdle winner, who had Blake behind on that occasion and finished two and three-quarter lengths behind the same rival here, could easily have been brought down on the run for the home straight.

Somehow, he stayed upright and ran with major credit to reach the frame. Even if his Grade 3 win came on testing ground, this run showed he’s not totally restricted by conditions and he remains very lightly raced. There is bound to be plenty more fun to be had with this six-year-old for owners Jonathan Palmer-Brown and Claire Gleeson.

Putapoundinthejar

(Tony Martin)

Punchestown, April 28th

Another horse soundly beaten but running with credit in defeat at Punchestown was Tony Martin and Ray Grehan’s Putapoundinthejar. Despite being unable to make up the necessary inroads from well off the pace when fifth of 21 (beaten 12 lengths) in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle, he made some decent gains and shaped like he’ll be up to winning a valuable handicap hurdle off his mark of 124 when all falls right; possibly at the Galway Festival for connections well able to target that meeting. Having won on his return from a 10-week break at Bellewstown (taking advantage of an attractive flat mark), he again showed that he’s in a good place at present. His revised flat mark of 80 is probably still one he can be competitive off too, so watch out for him on the level this summer, as well as over flights.

Nowwhatdoyouthink

(Ray Hackett)

Punchestown, April 28th

Ray Hackett has done a tremendous job with Nowwhatdoyouthink and his third behind Western Fold and Fleur In The Park in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase is one that can be marked up. It was noticeable how well the recent Cork Grade 3 winner travelled through this staying contest on the decent ground at Punchestown, and it felt as though he arrived at the front end of the race a little earlier than ideal. For a horse making his ninth start in the previous 12 months, he motored around with real zest and gained more lengths jumping than any other runner in the field, as per RaceiQ. He couldn’t quite match the finishing effort of the front two, having been there to be shot at slightly from the back of the last, but emerges from this with his reputation enhanced. He’ll be an interesting candidate if taking up his engagement in the Goffs Spring Horse-In-Training Sale at Doncaster.

Aguellid

(Philip Hobbs & Johnson White)

Punchestown, April 29th

J.P. McManus had won four of the previous six renewals of the Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle, including with a couple of British-trained contenders, and he can count himself a shade unlucky to have bumped into a rejuvenated and well-handicapped Jacovec Cavern in this year’s running. The 11-length winner left his rivals for dust, and, in a normal year, the Philip Hobbs and Johnson White-trained novice would have been a decisive winner (finished five and a half lengths clear of the third). He’s been nudged up a couple of pounds to 124 for this, but that won’t be enough to stop him with average luck next time. He’s very much unexposed, with just six runs over hurdles, and he’ll benefit from this first experience in a big-field, 24-runner handicap hurdle at a spring festival.

Bon Bon Fizz

(Gordon Elliott)

Punchestown, April 30th

Given that he was bought back by his vendor for 56,000gns in an online sale in March, having won a bumper earlier that month, it’s probably safe to assume that Bon Bon Fizz was a value purchase in joining Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud - especially based on what he showed in defeat at the Punchestown Festival. It was slightly difficult to assess exactly what the Pour Moi six-year-old had achieved when bolting up by 15 lengths at Cork for the capable Paul O’Flynn yard.

Prior to that, he had been beaten when falling at the last on his point-to-point debut and ran an eye-catching race when falling at the last as a 100/1 shot in a maiden hurdle after. Bon Bon Fizz had his supporters for this stable debut, though, (SP 6/1 from 9/1 in the ring and 16/1 in the morning) and this performance proved why. It looked as though he might collect when shooting through a gap impressively, quickening up better than anything in the race from two furlongs out to the furlong pole.

However, he was outpointed late on by the highly-regarded Adaboy Mushy (Declan Queally), who was taking advantage of an 8lb allowance for four-year-olds and denied the runner-up by half a length. Bon Bon Fizz wouldn’t have been in the Elliott system all that long, and we saw with another mid-season bumper stable switcher, Charismatic Kid, that more time to adapt to fresh training surroundings can only be a positive for him. He’s capable of winning some smart races next season over hurdles.