Crafty Placing Will Pay Off At Punchestown

BoyleSports paid out on Chelsea to win the Premier League on Saturday but even they were only 1/7 at the time which is half the odds that Douvan is to win the BoyleSports Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday.

While the superstar is unbackable in Punchestown’s feature, he’s certainly worth witnessing and there are a couple of other punting opportunities on the card.

Baie To Gallop Them Into The Ground
Ross O’Sullivan’s Baie Des Iles ran a very creditable race in the Welsh National behind Native River over Christmas and that was despite not getting her preferred and the usual heavy ground at Chepstow for the marathon.

The grey, who was second in Punchestown’s National Trial last year, can go one better on this occasion under Katie Walsh. Punchestown are confident of overcoming the frost but Baie Des Iles is certainly going to have her conditions and still being only a six-year-old, there’s no doubt that she’s still a potential improver in the field and looks the pick of the bunch here.

Crafty Placing
The new syndicate that own The Crafty Butcher nearly had a day to remember when the 10-year-old finished second in the Paddy Power Chase at Christmas but he has since missed out on a run in the Leopardstown Chase and the Thyestes Chase.

So connections have opted to go over hurdles and thus a possible booking at the Cheltenham Festival.

This looks a real competitive heat with the first six qualifying for a chance to run in the Pertemps at Cheltenham and last year’s winning connections of Pat Kelly and Philip Reynolds are represented by the talented Presenting Percy.

But The Crafty Butcher looks capable of running a big race on the basis of his Paddy Power run given that this looks a slight drop in class and Stellar Notion didn’t do that form any harm with his subsequent run.

A younger and more unexposed type would be the obvious candidate in this sort of race but The Crafty Butcher represents shrewd connections and hopefully he can go one better this time around.

Recommended Bets:
The Crafty Butcher (5/2) – 2.00 Punchestown
Baie Des Iles (5/1) – 4.00 Punchestown

*Prices correct at time of publication.