Timeform Irish SmartPlays: Alexandre to prove a point at Punchestown

Day four of the Punchestown Festival gets underway at 15:40

It's Day four of the Punchestown Festival and Timeform's Irish team highlight another three selections on yet another cracking card.....

Home Farm managed to win a maiden hurdle at Thurles in November by 17 lengths, but he was always going to be seen to best effect when sent over the larger obstacles. He proved that particular point at the third time of asking when comfortably landing a warm-looking maiden chase by five lengths from White Star Line. Home Farm then took another step forward when running a fine race to finish third to Liberty Counsel in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse at the start of this month, staying on well having been hampered three out. The drop back in trip shouldn't pose a problem this afternoon and he is open to further improvement in this sphere.

Pont Alexandre looked a top-class prospect when annihilating useful rivals in a Grade 1 at Navan in December and a Grade 2 at Leopardstown in February, making all and only needing to be kept up to his work to beat Sizing Gold by 11 lengths on the latter occasion. It would be fair to say that he was considered a banker by many at the Cheltenham Festival, but he ultimately failed to meet expectations under less testing conditions when third to The New One in the Neptune Novices' Hurdle. However, the form of that race has been franked since and, with conditions likely to prove more suitable, he should prove difficult to beat.

Oscar Delta has gradually developed into a high-class hunter chaser and was a desperately unlucky loser of the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham last month, leading before four out and in full control when jinking and unseating his rider halfway up the run-in. Oscar Delta left Salsify to come home alone that day and record his second successive victory in the race, but there is no doubt that Oscar Delta should have landed that particularly prize and  is taken to gain ample compensation for that unfortunate mishap in the finale.

Recommended Bets:

Back Home Farm in the 16:20
Back Pont Alexandre in the 18:05
Back Oscar Delta in the 19:45

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