It’s been a stunning few days at the Punchestown with high drama right from the off. After a day to forget on Tuesday for Paul Townend he was back in the winners enclosure yesterday with a treble which was part of an incredible 9,802/1 six-timer for trainer Willie Mullins! And with big name fancies this afternoon in the form of Footpad and Penhill it now looks as if Mullins will claim the trainers title from Gordon Elliott and what has been a thrilling battle.
Away from Punchestown today there’s another five meetings to get stuck into with flat meetings from Beverley and Chelmsford on the All-Weather whilst there’s National Hunt action from Kempton, Warwick and north of the border from Perth. My selection today comes from Yorkshire where I’m fancying the Richard Fahey trained EXHORT (9/4) to claim the 14:35 Class 3 Handicap Chase at Beverley.
When asked at the end of last season about Exhort, Richard Fahey was quoted saying that ‘“Exhort was one of our best two-year-old fillies” and that “she’s made good progress and looks a nice prospect for Cheveley Park Stud this year”. She made four appearances last year, which is the least out of any of the six runners that line up in today's contest. Her debut came at Doncaster where she was beaten just a neck by Laurens who is now a 12/1 shot for this year’s 1000 guineas.
14:25 Beverley - 7f Class Handicap - Exhort 9/4 - 1pt Win
Off the back of that she went one better when winning at Haydock over seven furlongs before following that up again a month later at Thirsk where she was sent off the ⅚ favourite beating Gamesters Icon by a neck. Those two wins, despite being in minor races then allowed her to line up a Class 2 nursery at Newmarket worth 31k where she ran a very credible sixth finishing less than three lengths off the winner. Off the back of her fantastic two-year-old season I’m hoping that she can strike again this afternoon. Those four starts should put her in good stead for this afternoon’s race and at the current price of 9/4 I believe she looks a good bet.