Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BEACON OF HOPE
Edge to kick-start big day for Gigginstown
BEACON Edge should get punters off to a flyer and continue Gigginstown’s rich vein of form in the Bangor-on-dee Annual Members Maiden Hurdle in Punchestown.
The maroon and white team enjoyed a fine treble when racing returned to Punchestown yesterday, with Notebook, Coko Beach and Sixshooter, all winning for different yards.
And the Gigginstown outfit looks set for another profitable day at the County Kildare venue, holding a strong hand throughout the card.
Punters though will hope to kick-off with Beacon Edge in the opener as the Doyen gelding embarks on his hurdling career, having won an Ayr bumper for Nicky Richards before being bought for £88,000 and running creditably in two-high class bumpers for current handler Noel Meade.
A close fourth to subsequent Cheltenham winner Envoi Allen in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival in early February, he finished a creditable third behind Colreevy and recent hurdles winner Abacadabras in the Grade 1 at this venue’s festival in April.
Sure to be well-schooled and the mount of Rachael Blackmore, who doubled-up on Notebook and Sixshooter yesterday and is deputising for stable-jockey Sean Flanagan, Beacon Edge should take plenty of beating.
Gigginstown is responsible for three of the four runners in the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Acca Buck House Novice Chase.
And preference is for the Henry de Bromhead-trained, Blackmore-ridden Jan Maat, runner-up to Wicklow Brave at Galway and Listowel since scoring at Tipperary.
His extra experience might see him land the spoils at the expense of Daly Tiger and Swordsman, successful on their respective chasing debuts at Tipperary and Roscommon.
The featured Star Chase will see the Gigginstown colours carried by four of the six runners, including 165-rated Balko Des Flos, winner of the 2018 Ryanair at Cheltenham.
But I’ll take a chance with Noel Meade’s Tout Est Permis, winner of the Troytown last November and a Grade 2 at Thurles in January before being unplaced, when last seen, in the Irish Grand National.
Although not favoured by the weights, Mark Walsh’s mount, open to plenty of improvement, is a hopeful, more than confident, choice.
The nap vote is reserved for another Gigginstown runner,
Fantasio D’alene, in the bumper.
A faller in his only point-to-point, this Saddler Maker gelding looked a nice prospect when finishing third to Uhtred in the Tattersalls Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse last Easter, when trained by Mouse Morris.