Punchestown Sunday Preview: Morgiana Hurdle

Willie Mullins has won the last five renewals of Sunday’s Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown (2.20pm) – including a 1-2-3 last year - though he had previously failed to record a win in the race in the preceding decade. This year, it’s simply a three on two, experience versus youth slug-fest between Mullins and owner J.P. McManus. The last-named has last season's Triumph Hurdle winner Ivanovich Gorbatov – a long way below form on two of his three outings since, including his reappearance at Naas (two and a half miles) earlier this month – and Jer’s Girl on his side. The last-named, trained by Gavin Cromwell, has won both of her Grade 1 starts since being purchased by McManus and is respected getting plenty of weight, though she has been suffering from a skin disease which flared up on journey to Navan for the Lismullen Hurdle last week, for which she was withdrawn.

The Mullins trio – which could have included any of the holy trinity of Annie Power, Faugheen and Vroum Vroum Mag, who all had entries at the five day stage – is made up of Nichols Canyon, Sempre Medici and Simenon. Nichols Canyon tops the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, with the form of his Champion Hurdle third taking him well clear of any of his rivals. He stepped up to two and a half miles and then three miles for his subsequent two starts last term, and will need to hurdle fluently if he is to cope with the drop back to the minimum trip here. Sempre Medici was pulled up in the Champion Hurdle and hasn’t been at his best in three starts (one of which was in the Ascot Stakes on the Flat) since. The nine-year-old Simenon has mixed racing under both codes over the past few seasons, though he disappointed in both spheres when last seen in August. He has plenty to prove.

Sunday’s Grade 1 event is preceded, enhanced and supported by two novice chases, the first of which is the Craddockstown which takes place at 1.10pm. There may just be five runners for this two mile contest but they are an exciting bunch, though it is once again slightly disappointing to see the five-strong field including three six-year-olds from the same stable (Henry de Bromhead) and three in the same ownership (Gigginstown Stud). Identity Thief is in the middle section of that particular Venn diagram, and this very smart hurdler, who was second in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle last season, made a deep impression when jumping well en-route to success over this C&D on his chasing bow. He has the potential to go to the very top over fences. Attribution is open to further improvement as a chaser, though he should prove suited by further than two miles, while another stablemate, Ordinary World, was some way below most of his rivals over hurdles. Ball d’Arc has the most chasing experience in this field, getting off the mark at the fourth attempt last month, while this feels like something of an afterthought for chasing debutant Bentelimar who has had 21 starts over hurdles, the last 13 of which have been without success.

The Florida Pearl Novice Chase (1.45pm) is over an extra six and a half furlongs and is inevitably dominated by Gigginstown horses. However, the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings are much more bunched than in the Craddockstown, with just 6 lb separating the top three. Narrowly heading the figures is Gordon Elliott’s A Toi Phil, who was useful over hurdles for Willie Mullins and who was ridden patiently when making a successful debut over fences after six months off at Down Royal earlier this month. He is sure to progress and win more races over fences. His stablemate Jetstream Jack has something to find on form but has always looked a chaser and he made no mistake when winning at Tipperary on his chasing bow last month. The five-year-old Disko has been lightly campaigned by Noel Meade (who has had 7/2, 5/1 and 12/1 winners in the past week) and Disko looked a good prospect when making a successful chasing debut at the course last month. Fellow Gigginstown runner Nambour, trained by Mouse Morris, wasn’t as good as some of these over hurdles for Willie Mullins but he also impressed when winning on his chasing debut, this time at Galway.