3 minute read

With the rain abating across the UK and Ireland, racing fans could enjoy up to five meetings on Tuesday including a competitive card at Punchestown.

For our first selection, we head straight to the feature race on the Punchestown card – the 2m3½f Listed William Hill Epic Value Mares Novice Hurdle. Whilst the favourite Banntown Girl is worthy of respect, it is not often that we see an unbeaten Willie Mullins runner available at 4/1 and A Penny A Hundred appears to be a very attractive proposition. Whilst the daughter of Jukebox Jury lacks the racecourse experience of her rivals, she has done little wrong to date, picking up a Sligo bumper in late August by five-and-a-half lengths.

She started hot favourite for her hurdling debut in an eighteen runner Limerick maiden and impressed with a professional display from the front, only briefly headed after the third flight when pulling clear of the rest of the field. The three-and-three-quarter length winning margin did not tell the whole story, and the four-year-old filly looked like a step up in trip would suit her. She has won on both extremes of ground conditions – good and heavy – and the yard are in excellent form.

SELECTION – A PENNY A HUNDRED – 4/1

We remain at Punchestown for a relatively small field maiden hurdle by Irish standards, with only nine runners lining up for the 2m3½f William Hill Play Responsibly Maiden Hurdle. It may be worth taking an each-way risk on Littlebiggie, who continues to drift in the market (currently available at 40/1) with ground conditions expected to be soft to heavy. An easy winner of a point-to-point in April, the Ray Hackett-trained mare ran into Aurora Vega on her hurdling debut at Sligo and was unsurprisingly beaten twelve lengths into second behind Willie Mullins' beautifully bred mare. With Aurora Vega subsequently winning a Listed contest and cementing herself at the top of the bumper hierarchy, the Sligo form has been given a considerable boost and Littlebiggie lost very little in defeat, having been keen in the early stages.

It's arguable that this daughter of Ask would not be the same price if she was trained by one of the leading yards and with the benefit of a mares' allowance, she could sneak into the frame at long odds.

SELECTION – EACH WAY – LITTLEBIGGIE – 40/1