The Mandarin’s Sunday Selections for 14th January 2024

The Mandarin’s Sunday Selections from Punchestown

Total Event Rental beginners Chase 12.35
Rolly Bowley Boy
Ciaran Murphy might have the answer to the opener with Rolly Bowley Boy. He’s hit the bar in two of his four runs this term, finishing third in the other two, so by the law of averages at least he should be due a win soon to break the maiden tag over fences. This looks an ordinary affair with the mare, Kates Hill posing the obvious danger, but Rolly Bowley Boy gets the tick

Betting Better With Sky Bet Novice Chase (Grade 3) 1.05
Blood Destiny (nap)
There’s sure to be plenty of support for Willie Mullins’s Blood Destiny after his bloodless win at Naas on his chasing bow. He was 9 lengths to the good going through the line having made all and putting in a near faultless round of fencing. Surely more to come but he’s not going to have things so easy this time with the Grade 2 Craddockstown Novice Chase winner, Imagine, also in the mix. Imagine didn’t win the Craddockstown by much, but did enough and might not have been fully extended. A good duel in store with fellow Grade 2 winner, Silent Approach and Spillane’s Tower also lining up, but Blood Destiny looks one out of the top drawer, so gets the nudge

Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle (Grade 2) 1.35
Mystical Power (nb)
Willie Mullins could be in for a good day if Blood Destiny wins as expected and Mystical Power doubles up in Punchestown’s Pattern races. He was pretty keen at Galway when last seen back in July, but once Mark Walsh got him settled in behind the leaders, he put the race to bed approaching the last. Impressive, and with soft ground again and Mark Walsh back in the saddle, hard to oppose

Sky Bet Request A Bet Mares Handicap Hurdle 2.35
Ardera Ru
Eoin Doyle’s Fame And Glory mare does need to bounce back from an underwhelming run at Limerick last month, where she found little for pressure on heavy ground. That said, she’s run well enough on her only visit here before, and will find conditions to suit. Every chance against her own sex, enters calculations

Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase 3.05
Easy Bucks
The chance is taken on Easy Bucks, hoping that the move over to Shark Hanlon’s yard will freshen him up. He’s generally been campaigned on good ground, so it’s taken on trust that this deeper going will suit, as will the shorter trip. Solid each-way claims at the least, nevertheless

Sky Bet Build A Bet Amateur National Handicap Chase 3.35
Hardwired
Ted Walsh can land the closer with Hardwired, if he can regain the thread of form that saw him score at Punchestown back in October. He was hampered and brought down next time out, though to be fair he wasn’t really involved with the leaders there at Naas, but he’s a course winner here and has Alex Harvey taking up the reins. Probably has more wins in him over fences, so looks as good a pick as any

The Mandarin