THURSDAY at Punchestown is a tricky day and at first glance, tricky is the best way to describe its feature event, the Ladbrokes Stayers Hurdle. In truth this isn’t the strongest heat you’ll see in a division that lacks depth. Saying that, the front two in the betting deserve to be there and look like the ones concentrating on.

Bapaume hasn’t won this season but he has progressed into a solid operator at Grade 1 level over this distance, having chased home Presenting Percy in the Galmoy Hurdle and then ran a good fourth to Paisley Park at Cheltenham. He deserves to be favourite but in Aux Petit Soins, he faces a really interesting horse.

Since switching from Paul Nicholls to Dan Skelton, the John Hales-owned grey has won two of his four starts and comes here off the back of a career best performance at Aintree where he was much too good in a valuable handicap hurdle off a mark of 149. He has 4lbs to find with Bapaume, but he is lightly raced, having had just the 10 runs over hurdles, five of which he has won, and he has scope to progress again.

It’s hard to make a solid case for the others. Not Many Left is also unexposed and ran really well at both Cheltenham and Fairyhouse - he has a lot to find but has the scope to improve back over three miles. Vision Des Flos is interesting coming back to Punchestown but he raced freely when given a chance up in trip in the Coral Cup, so the three-mile distance is a concern for him today.

The race the majority of punters will be looking forward to more is the Ryanair Novice Chase which features four separate Grade 1 winners, one perennial Grade 1 runner-up and one could-be-anything horse. The market has it down to Cheltenham Festival scorers Duc Des Genievres and Defi Du Seuil, the former a 13-length Arkle winner, the latter an impressive JLT Chase winner whose form was significantly boosted by Lostintranslation at Aintree.

However I wonder are both a little vulnerable with today’s conditions. The drying ground could be problematic for Duc Des Genievres who has done most of his racing and winning on a soft surface. For the British raider, you’d have to wonder about him over this trip. He looks speedy over two and a half miles but his trainer Philip Hobbs was strongly considering the three-mile race for him until the ground got soft.

I’ve always been a big fan of Voix Du Reve and despite concern for his jumping over this trip, he looks much too big a price at 20/1. He got back on track with a comfortable win over his stablemate Real Steel in the Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase at Fairyhouse and while that form is a level below what is required here, he does have previous form that fits the bill. He comfortably accounted for both Hardline and Cadmium over this exact course and distance earlier in the season, a win that looks very good now. The return to Punchestown is a plus, as is the drying ground.

Punters have another difficult start with the 25-runner JLT Handicap Hurdle opening proceedings but it can be made a lot simple by the now favourite Curious Times. It’s no surprise to see all the money is for Stuart Crawford’s six-year-old this morning because his form is really eyecatching. He beat the now 133-rated Black Tears on his previous run in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal, and before two struggling efforts over two and a half miles, he chased home Canardier over the minimum trip at the same course. He could be really well treated now off a mark of 116.

Snugsborough Hall and his connections deserve a bit of luck after being taken out by the wayward Mind’s Eye at Fairyhouse last time. He was travelling well at the the time and looked sure to play a part in the finish so could easily be well treated now off a mark off just a 1lb higher mark. However he has been well found in the market (now favourite) and I’d rather chance something at a big price in what looks a much better race. Eamon An Cnoic travels over for David Pipe and he looks overpriced at 16/1. He was disappointing behind the reopposing Moon Over Germany at Aintree last time but that flat course and soft ground possibly didn’t play to his strengths. Prior to that, the eight-year-old put up an excellent run to be fourth to Siruh Du Lac at Cheltenham after winning over two miles at Chepstow. Punchestown should suit him much more.

Finally, in the three-mile Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle, I’m willing to take a chance on Gordon Elliott’s Elwood, who had a thankless task on his previous run trying to live with the hugely progressive Ronald Pump at Cork. That runner boosted the form by going on to win the EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Final at Fairyhouse, where he had a number of today’s field in behind. Elwood was off level weights with him at Mallow, and on just his fourth start for Elliott, he has lots of scope to improve.

SELECTIONS:

Curious Times, 11/2 general, 3:40

Eamon An Cnoic, 16/1, general, 4:15

Aux Petit Soins, 9/2, general, 5:30

Elwood, 14/1, Bet365/Unibet, 6:05

Voix Du Reve, 18/1, general, 6:40