Timeform highlight a ratings choice, a big improver and a Flag of note on day two of the Punchestown Festival.
The Ratings Choice
Fun Fun Fun – 19:45 Punchestown
Fun Fun Fun proved a big disappointment when last seen finishing down the field in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, but it’s far too soon to be writing her off after just one bad run and this looks a good opportunity for her to get back on track.
The reason Fun Fun Fun appeared to hold such strong claims heading to Cheltenham was because she’d previously shown useful form to win a Grade Two mares’ event at the Dublin Racing Festival. Waited with in the early stages, she made headway on the bridle on the home turn and from there she quickly drew clear to land the spoils by nine and a half lengths in most taking fashion.
Crucially, Fun Fun Fun is back against her own sex today and the form she showed at Leopardstown identifies her as very much the one to beat. For context, she is 11 lb clear of her main form rival, Cuta des As, on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings, so it’s no surprise that Patrick Mullins has chosen to ride her over four stablemates.
The Big Improver
Senior Chief – 16:15 Punchestown
Senior Chief is improving with every start over hurdles and has looked a smart prospect in winning his last two, including a maiden victory over this course and distance back in February.
The six-year-old followed that with a comfortable success in a novice event at Navan last month, only winning by half a length but still running to a useful level as the first two pulled a long way clear of the rest. He was receiving 3 lb from the runner-up, Landrake, but there was plenty to like about the way he fought off the sustained challenge of that rival, just needing to be driven out after being produced to lead at the last.
That form still gives Senior Chief a bit to find with the likes of Sandor Clegane and Three Card Brag on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings, but that pair have both been tested at Grade One level. Senior Chief, on the other hand, still has untapped potential and further progress is a distinct possibility in his hat-trick bid.
Ha d’Or was out of his depth in the Sporting Life Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival last time, so it’s probably worth putting a line through that run and his form in some good-quality novice events earlier this season makes him of definite interest on today’s handicap debut.
Placed in Grade Three company at Navan on his penultimate outing, Ha d’Or had previously produced an even better performance when getting off the mark over fences at Fairyhouse in December. The official winning margin there was 11 lengths and the runner-up, The Goffer, subsequently gave the form a boost when defying a mark of 138 in a competitive handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival, while the fifth, Macs Charm, has also won a handicap off 135.
That suggests Ha d’Or could be one step ahead of the handicapper from an opening mark of 140 and the fact he is 3 lb clear of the field here on weight-adjusted ratings gives more substance to that view. He is certainly the most interesting of the three runners for Willie Mullins, who typically has his team in rude health (72% of horses running to form) as he seeks a third win in this race since 2018.
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