Thedevilscoachman

Thedevilscoachman put up a fine performance on his chasing debut to finish third behind Ferny Hollow in the two-mile beginners’ chase at Punchestown on Sunday. Kicking off in third place behind the favourite and The Priests Leap, he lost a couple of places on the run down the side of the track to the back straight. Only sixth and along the inside as they left the back straight, he had to switch out into the centre over the fourth last and third last fences, and he got caught in a little bit of traffic as they ran to the home turn. Still only sixth as they straightened up for the final two fences, he stayed on well from there. He moved into third place over the second last fence, and he stayed on well to close on the winner and Coeur Sublime all the way to the line.

It was a most encouraging performance by Noel Meade’s horse. He was a progressive novice hurdler last season, he won three of his first four races, including a listed hurdle at Punchestown in February, before he disappointed on his final run of the season behind Echoes In Rain in a Grade 2 hurdle at Fairyhouse’s Irish National meeting in April. This was much more like it, and he could progress to be a talented two-mile novice chaser this season. He should do even better on even softer ground, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.
Punchestown, 5^th December 2021