Paul Townend rides at Fairyhouse and Punchestown this weekend
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I am not overly busy this weekend with two rides each day. I start at Fairyhouse on Saturday with Jazzaway (1.00) in the mares maiden hurdle over two and a quarter miles.
She has been running consistently okay without setting the world on fire. Gordon Elliott’s Flying Risk probably has the strongest line of form.
We would be hoping for a good run with the return to mares company being a help for her.
CharlesO’Brien’s Strange Notions is a horse I rode last year and who caught my eyerunning well for a long way last time on New Year’s Day.
Shesets a nice standard as well but probably Gordon Elliott’s is the one to beat.We would be hoping to get placed at least and anything better is a bonus.
Voix Des Tiep (2.45) ran a cracker on his first start over fences behind Tornado Flyer in Naas. Unfortunately he tipped up when well fancied in Navan on his next run.
Ithink a reproduction of his first run should be good enough here. Chosen Materan well on his last run over fences but I think the Tornado Flyer race looksthe strongest bit of form. If we can keep him on his feet he should take allthe beating.
Sunday
I am at Punchestown on Sunday where I am really excited to be on Carefully Selected (1.05) in the Grade 3 novice chase.
Hewas just touched off in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham two years ago, had aninterrupted season over hurdles but ran a belter behind Minella Indo and Allahoin the Grade 1 in Punchestown.
Twoand a half miles is probably on the sharp side for him. He jumps well sohopefully that will override the distance. He is a lovely novice chaserhopefully destined for bigger and better things.
CityIsland didn’t jump in Leopardstown and would have to jump a lot better. DallasDes Pictons was disappointing as well. So we will be hoping Carefully Selectedcan win here.
I thought Blackbow (3.45) would have won at Navan when he tipped up at the last. He is on a retrieval mission after doing that. He ran well on his first run. I think any of that form should be good enough.
Hopefullythe fall didn’t dent his confidence – I don’t think it did. If he reproducesone of his previous runs he will take all the beating.
Paul
