Paul Townend: Impaire Et Passe packs a punch
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Ladbrokes ambassador Paul Townend has seven rides in Ireland this weekend and he assesses the chances of all of them at Fairyhouse and Punchestown.
Saturday
He was a good winner of a messy race at Cork on his first run for us. I really liked him that day. He jumped really smartly and quickened up down the straight. I think he has come on from that as well. It is a competitive race but I think he can build on that and he is a horse I really like.
Davy Russell rides Jazzy Matty. He won well the last day for Jack Kennedy after being runner-up to Comfort Zone on his first run so he is a horse going the right way. Joseph O’Brien’s two horses have decent form as well but as I said, I like the manner of how my lad won at Cork.
He went very close over course and distance back in December for Sean O’Keeffe and a reproduction of that run will put him bang there. That was his first run since the Punchestown Festival so he is entitled to have come on from that. I think he has a big chance in a very competitive race.
Big Debates is going for three in a row and he has to have a live chance. Cayd Boy has a big chance as well. Mt Leinster’s jumping seems to have improved since he started chasing and he seems to have the hang of it now.
This is his second run for us. He ran over 2m4f at Naas where he weakened very tamely up the straight when he was behind Journey With Me. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and put a line through that run. I think he is a far better horse than that. His schooling has been fine. He has the tongue strap back on which I think will benefit him a lot. If he can produce what we think he is capable of, he will take all the beating here. This is a good opportunity for him and I think he is my best ride of the day on Saturday.
Sunday
He made a big impact when he won his maiden hurdle at Naas. It probably wasn’t the strongest of races but the way he won it was very impressive. He’s a lot better on the course than he shows us at home and that is no problem. That is the way you want them to be. His maiden was over 2m2f, but he is back to two miles here. I don’t think that is going to cause a huge issue for him. We have to give 8lbs to three of our rivals but if he is going to be the horse that we think he could be, I think he can handle that. I am really looking forward to getting back on him and he is my best ride of the day.
He hasn’t been seen on the track since November 2019 so that is a worry. He is a bumper winner, has a decent level of ability, and is an ex-point-to-pointer so his jumping has been fine. It has been a long time off the track but if anyone can have them right first time out, it is Willie Mullins.
He is off the track 617 days. He had a lot of racing done in France, with 11 runs there and winning three before joining us. He jumps well and he seems as ready as he can be for his first run for us. There are two decent maiden hurdle winners here and a couple of bumper winners too with plenty of place form in them. We like ours and hopefully my horse can run really well and win and then we will know where we are going after that.
He was very impressive when winning at Fairyhouse on his first run over fences. He seemed much more manageable and relaxed that day than he had been last year. It is a competitive race. It is a hot little contest with Minella Crooner, Journey With Me, Glengouly, Impervious in there, who are all last time out winners.
However, I think my horse has improved from the level he was running at over hurdles last year, and that was a pretty good level. Any improvement on that will put him bang in the mix here.
