2nd-May-2019

I think that the top two in the market are vulnerable.  Duc Des Genievres had the run of the race in the Arkle, and it wasn’t a strong Arkle this year in the end.  Also, he was well beaten in the Champion Novice Hurdle last year on his only run to date at Punchestown.

Defi Du Seuil was very good in winning the JLT Chase, but that was over two and a half miles.  He is a Triumph Hurdle winner, he probably needs further than the minimum trip ideally, and Punchestown’s two miles is a sharp two miles.  It is interesting too that connections decided not to re-route him from the JLT to the Arkle when Le Richebourg was ruled out of the two-mile race.  There is no two-and-a-half-mile novices’ chase at Punchestown, so he had to go either two miles or three miles.

Chacun Pour Soi is an unknown quantity, but the performance that he put up in winning his beginners’ chase at Naas on his debut for Willie Mullins was seriously impressive.  In terms of form, of course, he is going to have to step up considerably if he is going to beat the Arkle winner and the JLT winner, with the Maghull Chase winner Ornua and the Ryanair Gold Cup winner Voix Du Reve in among them.  But there is no knowing how high he could go.

His jumping at Naas was superb.  He did everything with ease, he travelled easily and he came clear of his rivals readily.  And the third horse, At Your Ease, who was beaten by more than 30 lengths, came out and won a beginners’ chase at Limerick three weeks ago.  And, even though he obviously won’t ride him now, the fact that Ruby Walsh was down to ride him is an obvious vote of confidence.

CHACUN POUR SOI WON (ADV 4/1, SP 3/1)