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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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Guinness Handicap preview
Show Court
© Photo Healy Racing
Four of the 14 participants in the Guinness Handicap are forced to compete from out of the weights and amongst that quartet is Sabrina Harty's Ned's Indian
However Harty's representative is only 1lb wrong and his trainer has secured the services of local in-form apprentice Leigh Roche for the ride on the consistent Sleeping Indian gelding.
Harty explained: "We're claiming 3lb off him but he needs good ground so we're hoping the rain doesn't come.
"Hopefully he gets a bit of luck in running and though he is up in trip he should get it."
Surprisingly for a race at this Festival, Dermot Weld is without success in 20 renewals, but he should have every chance of ending the barren spell with his sole runner Show Court
Owned by Weld's son Kris, Show Court only went down narrowly when favourite for this event a year ago. He was third on that occasion behind Curley Bill and the son of a Weld great from the past, Vinnie Roe, has only had four runs in the interim. He now competes off a three 3lb lower mark than 12 months ago.
Four trainers are double handed, namely Aidan O'Brien, Tony Martin, John Joe Walsh and Andy Oliver.
The most interesting of these eight are probably Oliver's Stony Grey third over the course and distance in the past, Egyptian Warrior who comes here in good form and Ana O'Brien claims a valuable 7lb, Panama Hat, bidding for five-in-a-row for Oliver and Walsh's Cliff House attractively perched on bottom-weight.
There is the usual scattering of horses having their second run of week and whilst Artful Artist will have to improve markedly on his effort here over hurdles on Monday evening, Eric The Grey ran well to be second in the same race.