Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Petit’s just too big for Bapaume
ALTHOUGH without a win since October 2017, Petit Mouchoir should prove too strong for Bapaume in the BARONERACING. COM Hurdle in Cork tomorrow.
A dual Grade 1 winner in the 2016-2017 season, the popular grey has continued to run creditably at a high level over the intervening seasons and comes into the race on the back of a highly creditable second, under top-weight, to Belfast Banter in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham and looks very well-treated at the weights.
The 10-year-old finished third to Sharjah in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown’s most recent Christmas meeting before flopping in the Irish Champion Hurdle and failing to cope with Jason The Militant in the Red
Mills at Fairyhouse.
He ran a cracker in the County and, rated 1lb superior to the Mullins runner Bapaume, a very easy winner at 1/7 over this course and distance recently and a Grade 2 winner at his best, he is set to receive 5lb from Bapaume, plus Jordan Gainford’s 7lb claim.
Tactics will be key, as both horses like to roll along. At the weights, Petit Mouchoir should, belatedly, return to winning ways.
John Mcconnell was weighing-up lots of options for Go Another One, including a trip to Aintree next week, and has opted to run him instead in the Grade 3 BARONERACING.COM Chase.
Off the track since October, the versatile nine-year-old ran well when sixth behind Mount Ida in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham and, if fully recovered, is taken to outpoint higher-rated Spyglass Hill – last seen when a well-beaten third behind Bachasson in the
Red Mills at Gowran Park.