Attribution

Attribution was probably a little unlucky not to win the two-mile novices’ hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday. Settled behind Neverushacon through the early stages of the race, the Gigginstown House horse joined the leader over the second last flight and moved into what looked like a race-winning advantage around the home turn when Bryan Cooper asked him to pick up. Three lengths clear on the run to the final flight, he pricked his ears and slowed markedly on the approach to the obstacle, with the result that A Great View jumped past him at the flight and landed running. Attribution got back after the leader on the run-in, but he could only get to within a length of him by the time they reached the winning line.

This was only a five-horse race, but it was a good race, run at a good pace and in a good time, just 0.02secs/furlong slower than Racing Post par. Winner of his only point-to-point, Attribution didn’t manage to win a bumper in four attempts, but he was second in three of them and third in the other, and he got off the mark on his first attempt over hurdles. That was in a maiden at Wexford in October, when he won easily, jumping the final two flights in front well. Sunday’s run was a significant step forward from that, the incident at the last notwithstanding, and he can continue to progress.

Henry de Bromhead’s horse looks like a chaser in waiting, but he is a half-brother to Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi, so he should also have a future over hurdles. He will be of interest now in another novices’ race, stepped up in grade, but he would also be of interest in a handicap hurdle off a mark of 132, which may under-rated him at least a little. He is an interesting prospect, and he may be under-rated.

6^th December 2015