12th-Feb-2017

This is a fascinating contest in which Bellshill sets a high standard, but I don’t think that he should be as far in front of his rivals as he is in the market …

Disko has always been highly regarded by Noel Meade, he was favourite to win the Grade 1 bumper at the 2015 Punchestown Festival, in which he finished second to Bellshill, and he was joint second favourite behind Jer’s Girl for the Grade 1 novices’ hurdle at Punchestown last April on the back of an impressive win in a maiden hurdle.

He is nicely progressive now over fences.  Impressive in winning on his chasing bow at Punchestown in October, he was disappointing behind A Toi Phil in the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Chase back at Punchestown in November, but he put that run behind him last time in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

He ran out of his skin that day to finish a close-up third behind Our Duke and Coney Island.  He took up the running at the fourth last fence that day, and he was probably just out-stayed from the final fence up the run-in by two stronger stayers.  He was only beaten a total of a length in the end, and the drop back down to two miles and five furlongs today could be ideal for him.

DISKO WON (SP 6/1)