Gordon Elliott: The thoughts on my two runners at Punchestown tonight

Gordon sends two runners to Punchestown tonight

A busy week for Cullentra House so far, and they send two runners to Punchestown on Wednesday evening. Read Gordon Elliott's exclusive thoughts on their chances here...

17.45 Punchestown - Toner D'Oudairies

We have been delighted with his progress in novice chases since he came back from the Cheltenham festival after running in the Martin Pipe conditional handicap hurdle there in March. He'd been running in novice chases before he went to Cheltenham, but he's been getting his act together of late over fences and been putting in much improved efforts since his return to the larger obstacles. He won a decent novices' chase at Fairyhouse in the middle of April beating Dul Ar An Ol by 5L, and that win was sandwiched in between two seconds, firstly at Thurles behind Lord Ben and then most recently at Killarney when stepped up to 2m6f on soft ground behind Gillian Callaghan's Mad Brian.

He's officially rated 129 over fences now, and on ratings he will need to improve to be competitive here tonight as he faces some higher rated rivals who will make life a bit tougher for here. Paul Nolan's similarly owned Far Away So Close looks the one to beat, and his two recent seconds in good handicap chases at this track set the standard. I'd like to think that the four-furlong drop in trip and the forecast good to firm ground would suit our horse, and he continues to thrive at the minute and is in good order at home. I'd be hopeful he goes into this contest with a solid each way chance if continuing his good recent progress under Davy Condon, in what looks a highly competitive chase.

18.45 Punchestown - Don't Back Down

He managed to get his head in front for the first time over fences at Cork in a decent novices' chase back at the start of April over 2m4f on soft ground which we were delighted with, as he hadn't won under any discipline since picking up a maiden hurdle over 2m4f at Fairyhouse on new years day back in 2011. We decided to step him up to 3m1f in his previous run at Wexford in the middle of April, and he was pulled up by Davy Russell on that occasion after he made a bad mistake at the sixth fence after which he could never get competitive. I'd like to think we could put a line through that run now, as it was the mistake and neither the ground nor the trip that was to blame for the below par performance.

He never had the chance to show us what he could do over an extended trip, so we have decided to try him at 3m1f as I've always thought he would appreciate a longer trip in time. A drop of rain would do his chances no harm, however in saying that he doesn't need soft ground, as it was the bit of nicer ground at Cork that saw him prevail. If he can bounce back from his last run here tonight, and just hunts around for Davy Condon I'd be hopeful he has a decent chance of reaching the frame and picking up some of the nice prize money on offer.