4.20 Punchestown
Mr Fiftyone 7/1
The bang in form Jessie Harrington has landed this contest 4 times in the last 10 years (included the last 2) and I think she has another excellent chance to take this prize again with Mr Fiftyone. An unexposed chaser with only 4 starts to date in this sphere, this 6 year old was pretty decent over hurdles primarily contesting Graded events in his Novice hurdling season and he's made a pretty good start to date over fences. Always described by his trainer as a horse that would be a better chaser, Mr Fiftyone ran a good race on his chasing debut when following home subsequent Grade 2 winner (and unfortunately deceased) Chancol at Punchestown before scoring at the 2nd time of asking over 18f at Thurles in November when making the most of Un De Sceaux's fall to score in good fashion. Mr Fiftyone was then stepped into Grade 1 Company for the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival where he was outclassed and tailed off but, on the back of 4 months off the track, he ran a cracking race on his handicap chase debut off a mark of 129 when 2nd in a valuable race at Fairyhouse last month. Held up at the rear of the field by Robbie Power over the 2m1f trip, Mr Fiftyone was still well back from the leaders when swinging into the home straight but he stayed on really well to finish 2nd. The winner that day Ballyadam Approach has hugely franked that form when winning impressively at this Festival on Wednesday off a 6lb higher mark (runner up Baby Mix is a horse who I think is a well handicapped animal) and the 2lb rise given to Mr Fiftyone for his last run seems very fair by the handicapper.
Given the way he was ridden, I think Mr Fiftyone definitely had this race as his target for quite a while and he gets in with a lovely racing weight of just 10-4 - which is one of the lightest Robbie Power can do. In addition to seeing better ground which I think will suit, I think the step up to 2m5f will suit Mr Fiftyone no end and I think this improving 6 year old will relish the extra distance. Given her record in the race, Jessie Harrington clearly knows the sort of horse that is needed to triumph in this contest and I'm sure she'll have her charge tuned to the minute for this valuable prize. In big fields like this luck always comes into things but Mr Fiftyone has winning experience in large fields before so I'm not too worried and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Robbie Power sat him close enough to the lead from the outset to try minimise the risks of those around him. Off a mark of 131 which I have absolutely no doubt leaves him well handicapped, I think Mr Fiftyone still has plenty of improvement left in him with only 4 starts over the larger obstacles thus far and I think better ground and the step up in trip to 21f will suit him tremendously. With a low weight to carry, I'm confident of a huge performance by this 6 year old and think he'll take an awful lot of beating and the 5 places paid by Ladbrokes makes him an outstanding each way betting proposition as I just cannot see him out of the places if jumping around clear. With his trainer in good form, I think Mr Fiftyone has a superb chance in this open looking contest and I'm confident he can land this race to give trainer Jessie Harrington her third consecutive success in this contest.
) after seeing him win at Wexford in August. He then ran second to Rebel Fitz on the flat (giving him 7 pounds) and I was looking forward to seeing him continue through the novice hurdle ranks through the winter. Not sure what happened in the interim, whether he had a setback, was being kept back for better ground, or whether they just see him as a summer horse? I'll be on him today at the prices (currently 6/1 which looks a decent price) as his form looks as good as anything in the field. I do just wonder what the longer term plan for him is though?
