Three Card Brag

Three Card Brag is also worthy of note. He finished two and a half lengths in front of Monty’s Star when they had met at Fairyhouse. His jumping wasn’t as good here as it had been at Fairyhouse, and that may have told in the end.

Gordon Elliott’s horse was also a high-class novice hurdler last season, he was only beaten a neck by Inthepocket in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle (at Naas), and he was impressive in winning a two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle at Fairyhouse in January. He proved that he could operate at Cheltenham too when he finished a close-up fifth in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle there last March. He travelled really well down the hill that day and over the second last. It appeared as if he got out-paced when they quickened at the top of the home straight, because he stayed on well up the hill to finish just five and a half lengths behind the winner Stay Away Fay. He is still a maiden over fences, but he should be winning soon. He can go a little to his left, so he may be even better on a left-handed track. A half-brother to Brown Advisory Chase runner-up and Scottish National fourth Idle Talk, he could be a horse for the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. That is a race that Gordon Elliott has won four times in the last 13 years.

Punchestown, 31^st December 2023