28th-Apr-2022

I am giving Magic Daze another chance here, now that she is dropping into handicap company for the first time in her life.  An initial mark of 135 is more than fair.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare has lots of ability, as she proved when she finished second in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, after racing freely and making the running in a race in which the hold-up mares came to the fore.  She shaped like a mare with buckets of potential too, early this season, when she finished third behind Gabynako and Noble Yeats at Galway in October, and when she won at Cork next time.

She didn’t do badly either next time, back at Cork, despite the fact that she made a few mistakes.  She kept on to finish a close-up third behind Concertista and Jeremys Flame.

She was well beaten in the Arkle last time, but that was after a break of 100 days, and her jumping wasn’t as fluent as it can be.  Also, that was against Grade 1 novices.  She is interesting today, in a handicap.  There is every chance that she will have the lead to herself today – Mt Leinster sat in behind Kalkas at Fairyhouse last time – and, if she can get into a good rhythm, she could have them all on the stretch.  Punchestown suits her forward-going style of racing too.  She is taking on largely exposed handiacppers, and she is over-priced in my book.

MAGIC DAZE WON (ADV 11/2, SP 3/1)