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John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and Morgiana Hurdle: Timeform's verdict
Get Timeform's view on the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and Morgiana Hurdle following a top-class weekend of racing.
All were returning from absences but rarely can a race have fanned the flames of positivity in terms of the potential depth in a division as this year's John Durkan, as a pair of last season's leading novices lowered the colours of the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner with another leading member of the staying scene completing the breakaway quartet - there might not be a Kauto Star or quite a Denman among them, but the number of top-class stayers on the whole looks likely to outstrip even that golden era.
FACT TO FILE struck the first blow for last season's rare bunch of staying novices as he picked up and more where he'd left off landing the odds in the Broadway, showing speed to go with his proven stamina as, having pushed his way up Fastorslow's inner on the home bend, he burst to the front at the last and then picked up as required to fend off the fellow dual Grade-1 winning novice in second, hard to draw up a more positive start to a first season in open company; Galopin des Champs has been formidable at Leopardstown but Fact To File promises to give him more of a scare than others have managed should they meet there over Christmas.
SPILLANE'S TOWER highlighted just how far he's come since starting his chasing career with successive defeats at a similar stage of last season, finishing that campaign with back-to-back novice successes at the top level and almost adding one in open company at the first attempt; patiently ridden, he rather conceded first run to the principals approaching the straight, but he'd quickened well to press the leader by the time they'd landed over the last and had his chance from there, held close home; he's not at all short of speed, something he highlighted here, but it's hard to ignore the fact he signed off the spring making his first start at 3m a winning one.
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS is still the standard-setter in the division following back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cups, having started last season with defeat in this and ended it with another Punchestown loss to boot, though there's a batch of strong newer blood from the last novice crop to contend with this time around and matching Best Mate's exploits will likely require his best Cheltenham performance yet; he'll still be the one to beat back at Leopardstown before then, however, with this encouraging comeback under his belt, ridden to make use of his stamina at a trip short of his best but unable to shake off the chasing pair of second-season rivals and failing to quicken once pegged back on landing at the last.
FASTORSLOW met with his first Punchestown defeat since initially establishing himself as a top-class chaser by notching his opening verdict over Galopin des Champs in the Gold Cup here in April 2023, possibly needing the run a little more than he had last season but also faced with a deeper field that included some new faces; he had every chance the way the race went, moving up to chase his old rival before the straight only to prove one paced between last 2.
MINELLA COCOONER is a very smart chaser, so it says it all about the quality in this field that he was sent off the rank outsider; soon steadied, took closer order seventh, shuffled back again twelfth, no threat from 3 out.
JOURNEY WITH ME probably needed the run after 7 months off, though his limitations at this level have long been established; in touch out wide, lost ground tenth, beaten when slow 3 out.
INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN remains a potentially top-class chaser, easy to back returning at a trip well short of his best and, retried in a tongue strap, probably here for something of a pipe-opener; raced off the pace, clouted sixth, left behind from 3 out.
GRANGECLARE WEST has a fragile air and left the impression all might not have been well 11 months on from making it 2-2 over fences; led until soon after sixth, remained prominent until 5 out, lost place when jumped left next, soon beaten.
Morgiana Hurdle
A minor surprise for the first Grade 1 hurdle of the autumn with reigning Champion Hurdler State Man turned over at short odds, though it's not as if he was far below form and the winner, who's now won 8 of her 9 starts, announced herself as a major player in a division that suddenly looks more open than it has for a while, with Lossiemouth - a late withdrawal on account of a sore foot - now the Champion Hurdle favourite with most bookmakers.
BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD progressed again to claim a notable scalp in her first open Grade 1, no mean feat to lower the colours of State Man even if she did have a fitness edge over that rival; made running, jumped left, mistake fourth, hit 3 out, ridden when headed before last, rallied to lead again flat, driven out; she'll continue to be a major player in all the top hurdle races up to 2½m for the rest of the season, her trainer suggesting the David Nicholson rather than the Champion Hurdle might be her Festival target.
STATE MAN met with defeat for just the second time in his last 14 outings returning from 7 months off, failing to make it 3 successive wins in this race but running to a level of form that would land many a Grade 1, no shame in going down to a prolific mare who had race fitness on her side, his final-flight mistake no help, either; chased leader, led under pressure before last, mistake there, headed flat, no extra late on; he'll surely win more top-level hurdles this season, though dominating the division as he did in 2023/24 could prove a taller order this time around.
WINTER FOG ran respectably, ridden to pick up the pieces; dropped out, outpaced 3 out, headway into third before last, kept on but never landed a blow; he's effective up to 3m and a return to further is unlikely to do him any harm.
NO LOOKING BACK without the headgear this time, faced a stiff task after 5 months off; held up, ridden 3 out, made no impression.
DADDY LONG LEGS wasn't up to this better company; ridden 3 out, never involved.
SIR GERHARD shaped as if badly needing the run after 7 months off; mid-division, ridden home turn, weakened.
SMOOTH TOM was out of depth; in rear, beaten when mistake 2 out.
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