Paul Townend: Appreciate It my best ride at Naas
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Ladbrokes ambassador Paul Townend runs the rule over his six rides this weekend, two at Cork on Saturday and four at Naas on Sunday.
Saturday
He is a horse who ran to a high level on the flat in France. He was placed in an Italian Group 2 I believe as well. He is a mile-and-a-quarter horse on the flat and he stays quite well. He jumps quite well too. We are really looking forward to getting him going and we think he can be a very smart type over hurdles. We will be disappointed if he can’t put up a good show to be honest. He is my best ride on Saturday.
She built on her first run second time out and hopefully she can build on that as well. She steps up to three miles which I don’t think is going to be a problem for her. Philip Fenton’s Japers Jack ran a good race behind Grangeclare West who runs in the Grade 1 on Sunday and wasn’t beaten by all that far. I think he is the one we have to beat.
Sunday
She will improve a lot from her first run at Cork. Fitness wise, she jumped brilliantly that day and just got a bit tired down the straight. This is a hot race for a mares’ beginners. You have Skyace and Telmesomethinggirl thrown into the mix as well, but we are getting weight off them so I will be hoping that she can improve plenty for her run at Cork and go very close.
He takes on Top Bandit again after beating him in the beginners chase at Punchestown last month. I was very happy with Appreciate It that day. He is very idle in front and I only did enough to pull away down the straight. I do love the way Appreciate It took to fences that day and I am really looking forward to getting back on him. I imagine he will be quite short in the betting and we will be disappointed if we can’t make it two from two over fences. He will be my best ride today.
This race is a very hot race every year and fits in well with the calendar. He won a very competitive maiden hurdle at Navan and the manner he won it surprised us after being off the track for so long. He jumped brilliantly that day and did things right. I think he has a huge engine. He missed a lot of time after winning at Punchestown in May 2021 but he seems to be fine now and I hope we can make up for lost time.
Irish Point was second in the Royal Bond and that is a high level of form to bring here. I do like Inothewayurthinkin. He beat me quite snuggly at Cork when I rode Lot Of Joy and then did well to get up to beat Imagine at Gowran in a slowly run race the last day. I think the step up in trip will suit him as well. I hope I am on the right one and it will be a cracking renewal.
I probably rode him wrong at Punchestown on his first run. He was quite keen and I decided to hold on to him. He will come on from that. He was a good bumper horse and he is improving. I will be disappointing if I can’t go close.
