Gordon Elliott: My Thursday runners at Punchestown

Will Gordon have a winner to cheer at Punchestown?

With the transfer of the Grabel Hurdle from yesterday's abandoned card at Punchestown, Gordon has three runners there this afternoon. Here's his assessment...

13:45 Punchestown - Mae's Choice

It's great to see that the management have decided to move this race to today's card as it's a good race and there's good money up for grabs. As for the mare, it's as you were with her.

We were a little bit surprised with how well she went last season as her home work wouldn't fill you with optimism but the result of winning a Grade 3 hurdle at the festival here on her final outing is that she must run against better company this season and thus must step up again on what she has achieved.

She has strengthened up nicely over the summer and we've been happy with her recently so, if the meeting goes ahead, there's no reason why she won't run a good race. The conditions will be very testing and she's giving weight away to some useful rivals but she's proven on heavy ground and we're looking forward to a good run.

16:15 Punchestown - Roi Du Mee

This looks more competitive than when he won it last year but we're hoping he might be able to follow up this afternoon. He seemed to get a little tired in the closing stages when fifth behind Sizing Europe on his seasonal return at Gowran recently but he has come on for the run and I hope the benefit of race fitness might give him a small advantage over the other four runners.

Davy Russell prefers Gigginstown House's other runner, Magnanimity, and so Paul Carberry will ride out fella. He looks like he has a bit to do at the weights with a couple of them but conditions will be very testing and it's a small field so you never know what can happen.

He's usually ridden prominently - he made all last year, though there were only three runners - and he has been in good shape since Gowran, so, touch wood, he should go well.

16:45 Punchestown - Tarquinius

He has been disappointing in his three runs for us but he's big and slow and he should handle these tough conditions. David O'Leary, who rides him, is a good young lad but the horse needs to improve on what he has shown recently. It's a big field handicap chase and it will be hard going out there so if he could just keep going, he might sneak into a place and that's probably as much as we could hope for.