James's Gate looks banker material at Punchestown on Thursday

Horse Racing Tips Punchestown Festival: Timeform highlights and ratings for Thursday

By Timeform

Horse Racing

Thu April 28, 2022 · 3y ago

Timeform highlight their best bets at Punchestown on Thursday in the form of a ratings banker, a big improver and a Flag to note.

The Ratings Banker

James’s Gate – 19:45 Punchestown

James's Gate⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 119| CD

4/9

James’s Gate ran a huge race when third in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, particularly as he was conceding experience to the pair who beat him, lining up there just 31 days after an impressive debut success over this course and distance.

James’s Gate was beaten only six lengths after travelling strongly for a long way at Cheltenham, and it wasn’t just in the race itself that he impressed. In fact, he was arguably the pick of the whole field on looks in the paddock beforehand, blessed with plenty of scope and very much the type to take high rank as a novice hurdler in 2022/23.

In the meantime, this looks an ideal opportunity for James’s Gate to end this season on a high. For context, he is fully 13 lb clear of Sir Jimmy Mac on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings, so it’s unlikely that he’ll need to improve to resume winning ways for Willie Mullins, who is seeking his fifth success in this race since 2013.

The Big Improver

Gin Coco – 15:40 Punchestown

Gin Coco⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J J Burke| T: H Fry| OR: 123

10/3

Gin Coco already had the best form when lining up in a maiden hurdle at Fontwell seven weeks ago, but he still looked an improved model for Harry Fry (formerly trained by Charlie Mann) so easily did he score on his first outing for 17 months.

Gin Coco was a bit keen in the early stages after so long on the sidelines and he was wide on the track for much of the race. If anything, that makes it even more impressive that he was still seemingly full of running at the finish as, after being produced to lead before the last, he proceeded to power clear to land the spoils by 14 lengths with any amount in hand.

Admittedly, that was probably just an ordinary maiden, but Gin Coco remains very much one to keep on the right side here on his handicap debut. After all, he already has the look of a well-treated horse from an opening mark of 123 and it’s highly unlikely that we’ve seen the best of him yet because he is so unexposed.

The Timeform Flag

Macs Charm – 18:00 Punchestown

Horse In Focus

Macs Charm⁴⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: B Hayes| T: Colm Murphy| OR: 137

11/1

After failing to get off the mark in four starts in maiden hurdles, Macs Charm has been a totally different proposition since making the switch to handicaps, first winning from a mark of 104 at Navan in January before defying an 8 lb rise in the weights to follow up at Gowran Park four weeks later.

Macs Charm had another 13 lb hike in the weights to contend with when lining up at Naas last month, but even that wasn’t enough to prevent him from completing the hat-trick. The most impressive aspect of that performance was his response to pressure, making steady headway to lead after the last before forging clear to win by four and three quarter lengths.

This will be tougher again with an extra 12 lb on his back, but Macs Charm is clearly improving in leaps and bounds and the way he shaped last time suggests the step up to three miles could eke out a bit more improvement. In a wide-open contest, he shouldn’t be underestimated as he goes for the four-timer.

Click here for more information on Timeform's winner-finding Flags

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