Timeform analysis | Key performances including Brighterdaysahead and Fact To File

BALLYBURN (c149P)

Also entered in the same day’s Morgiana Hurdle earlier in the week, in the end Willie Mullins opted to give Ballyburn, winner of last season’s Timeform Award for Top Novice Hurdler, a first taste of fences in a beginners' chase at Punchestown which the stable had won in recent seasons with the likes of Faugheen, Asterion Forlonge, Kilcruit and last season’s top novice chaser Gaelic Warrior.

A winning pointer with the build of a chaser, the decision to go down the chasing route with Ballyburn looks a good one judged on what was a near flawless debut over fences. Making the running and jumping accurately whilst travelling with his usual purpose, Paul Townend shook Ballyburn up between the final two fences to come home unchallenged by 13 lengths from useful stablemate Ocastle des Mottes.

Ballyburn will be hard to beat wherever he goes next, the drop back to two miles (this was around 2m3f) unlikely to inconvenience him, and he’s generally a 7/4 chance now for the Arkle next March. Second favourite for that contest is Firefox, the only horse to have beaten Ballyburn so far, who made a similar impression on his own chasing debut (earning a rating of 142P) at Down Royal three weeks ago.

BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD (h157 from h150p)

Champion Hurdle winner State Man was odds on to make a successful reappearance for the third year running in the Morgiana Hurdle, his task seemingly made easier when stablemate Lossiemouth (due back in next weekend’s Hatton’s Grace Hurdle instead) was a late withdrawal on account of a stone bruise. But that still left State Man with another very talented mare to beat in Brighterdaysahead and she took her own record to eight wins from nine races in inflicting State Man’s first defeat in completed starts in Ireland.

That was no mean feat, even if she did have a fitness edge over the favourite thanks to her reappearance at Down Royal earlier in the month, and she progressed again from that to put up a very smart effort. Making the running whilst tending to jump to her left, Brighterdaysahead was headed by State Man going to the final flight but his mistake there didn’t help his cause and Brighterdaysahead rallied on the flat to win driven out by half a length as they pulled clear of the rest.

Brighterdaysahead will continue to be a major player in any of the top hurdles up to two and a half miles for the remainder of the season though she’s not certain to take on State Man again at Cheltenham, Gordon Elliott suggesting the Mares' Hurdle (no bigger than 2/1 favourite) is the preferred option for her at the Festival. Last year's Mares' Hurdle winner, Lossiemouth, the current Champion Hurdle favourite, is rated 154p.

FACT TO FILE (172p from 166p) and SPILLANE’S TOWER (169p from 158p)

Much of the attention in Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase was focussed beforehand on the last two winners of the race, with Fastorslow sent off favourite this year to inflict another defeat at the track on dual Gold Cup winner Galopin des Champs. As it happened, Galopin des Champs came out on top in the latest round of their ongoing rivalry, ridden to make best use of his stamina over a trip short of his best and making an encouraging return, but both had to settle for minor honours in the frame as a pair of JP McManus’s top novices from last year came through to fight out the finish.

Last seen landing the odds in the manner of a future Gold Cup horse over three miles in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, Galopin des Champs’ stablemate Fact To File showed speed to go with his proven stamina, bursting to the front at the last before fending off Spillane’s Tower for a half-length victory which could hardly have been a more positive start to his first season in open company. Galopin des Champs has been formidable at Leopardstown in past seasons and it may be a bit soon for Fact To File to be replacing him as Gold Cup favourite as the bookmakers have done - Galopin des Champs remains top of the division with a rating of 179 - but Fact To File certainly promises to give him more of a scare than others have managed should they meet again over Christmas.

As for the Jimmy Mangan-trained runner-up, Spillane’s Tower had a lower-key profile as a novice despite putting together two Grade 1 wins in the spring, including over three miles at the Punchestown Festival, and he improved his rating to a greater degree than Fact To File in running that rival so close. Spillane’s Tower rather conceded first run to the principals approaching the straight but had quickened well to press the leader landing over the last and he’s another top-class staying chaser in a division whose strength this season suggests Galopin des Champs might require his best Cheltenham performance yet if he’s to win a third Gold Cup.

TOUCH ME NOT (c148p from 135p)

Gordon Elliott had won three of the last four editions of the Grade 2 Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown and fielded the favourite Farren Glory in his bid to win the two-mile contest again. A Grade 1 novice winner over hurdles last season in the Royal Bond, Farren Glory hadn’t particularly impressed with his jumping despite making a winning chasing debut at Naas earlier in the month, whereas stablemate Touch Me Not, who hadn’t reached the same heights over hurdles, had jumped like an old hand when narrowly beaten on his first start over fences over course and distance.

It was the superior jumping of Touch Me Not which helped him beat his better-fancied stablemate as he turned in an exhibition of fencing from the front and went on to leave his chase debut form behind with a smart effort. Pressing on approaching the straight and clear again two out, Touch Me Not responded well to come home six lengths clear of Farren Glory.

Two of the other leading contenders came to grief early on but Touch Me Not’s qualities ought to stand him in good stead in high-end handicaps in due course even if he falls short against the likes of Ballyburn later on. Inthepocket, a wide-margin winner at Wexford last month, remains the highest-rated novice chaser so far on 153p.

MARTATOR (c153 from c146)

Venetia Williams enjoyed a hugely successful 48 hours with a total of five winners on Friday and Saturday from the meetings at Ascot and Haydock. The obvious highlight was Royale Pagaille relishing the deteriorating conditions at Haydock to win a second successive Betfair Chase, though without having to improve his rating (164 from 162) to any great degree.

But 15 minutes later at Ascot, seven-year-old stablemate Martator took another notable step forward in his progress over fences when completing a five-timer of his own in the Hurst Park Handicap Chase. Also successful at Ascot whilst compiling a hat-trick at the end of his novice season and again on his reappearance three weeks ago, Martator was sent off the 13/8 favourite from a 6 lb higher mark on Saturday, though with Charlie Deutsch doing duty at Haydock, conditional Ned Fox took over in the saddle claiming 5 lb.

Kept wide and travelling powerfully, Martator made the race even more one-sided than the betting had suggested, improving to lead before two out and clear at the last to win by 11 lengths from Kotmask who’d finished closer behind the winner when third earlier in the month. Martator faces a bigger rise in the weights but is clearly on the up and further progress cannot be ruled out.

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